No Regrets, No Loss
by Kamakaze Kheri
Summary: After 250 years the greatest quest known to half-bloods has returned and one daughter of Zeus is chosen to take it. However, when she passes it to her unclaimed half-sister, only time will tell how she will accept the knowledge she has yearned to know. DISCONTINUED. See my profile for more details.
1. Chapter I: The Plunge

So this has been kicking around on my hard drive for a while and I figure maybe I should post it.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Nor do I own the song Empire State of Mind for which this story's title is based off of.

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**Chapter 1 – The Plunge**

Talia Strachan figured that for as long as she lived, she would always be envious of her older sister, Jasmine. As the eight year old ("I'm turning nine in November!" she insisted to anyone who would listen) trudged along the sandy shores of the Long Island Sound, she retraced the steps of the childhood she had had up until exactly one year ago.

Because Jazzy was older than Talia, she got the head start on everything. Jasmine had learned to read and write her name before Talia during Kindergarten, something Talia didn't attend till the following year. Jazzy had also started figure skating before Talia, and was doing a lot better. She was almost finished the primary level while Talia still couldn't do a Lutz.

When they arrived at camp, Jazzy had been claimed almost immediately by Zeus, King of the Gods. Talia had been ecstatic for her sister, but as the months ticked by and Talia wasn't claimed, a new thought was added to that part of her heart she kept specially for the envy that was aimed at Jazzy.

And now Jazzy was being given the spotlight again.

In half-hearted anger, Talia scooped up a rock from the soft sand beneath her and chucked it as far as she could into the open water of the sound. It made a soft _sploosh_ as it landed and the eight year old was slightly disappointed. She was hoping for something a bit more impressive.

Talia took a seat on the sand and brought her legging-clad legs up to her chest before resting her chin on her knees. After two hundred and fifty years the biggest quest in Half-Blood history had returned, and Jazzy had been chosen to take it.

Talia wouldn't have been so choked up if it had been some other camper. A lot of people had expected Bradley Collins of the Apollo cabin to get it. He was strong, skilled and a favourite among the female campers, but instead it had fallen upon Jazzy, the single daughter of Zeus, to take the quest.

This thought only trailed back to the fact that Jasmine was always doing better than Talia. There would never be another chance in their lifetime for this quest, and even though Talia didn't want it anyway, it wasn't fair that Jazzy got it.

Looking over her shoulder, the little blonde watched as many campers crowded around a table at the dining pavilion. Talia could only guess who was in the middle of it all, but she was pretty sure that her guess was right.

She stood up, her anger fuelling her again, and began heading down the length of beach again, her ballet flats sinking into the sand before kicking it up onto her flowery tunic top. She needed to relax.

Soon, the sounds of the camp faded as Talia found herself along the stretch of beach that ran parallel to the forest. She was feeling reckless though, so without a second thought she dove into the heavy underbrush.

If Jazzy had been there to accompany Talia, she probably would have told her that this was a stupid idea, and in fact it was. Being one of the youngest campers, Talia didn't carry a weapon around with her. It probably wouldn't have mattered though. She'd only used one weapon in her life, and that had been a bow and arrow in hopes of seeing if she was a daughter of Apollo.

The scraggly bushes scratched and tore at Talia's leggings and she scowled angrily at them, willing them to move. Maybe if they did she could go live in the Demeter cabin, but the plants failed to respond. In anger, she glared at a tree, waiting for a lightning bolt to fall out of the sky and knock it flat. If that happened then she would be Jasmine's full sister and they could share the Zeus cabin like they used to share a bedroom, but the lightning bolt never came.

Talia screamed loudly, kicking the nearest tree. Immediately, its wood nymph appeared and gave her a hearty shove before disappearing into the tree, leaving the blonde sitting on the ground with torn leggings and a bruised pride.

She didn't belong at Camp Half-Blood, she finally decided as she stood and continued down a small path that she uncovered. She was never going to be claimed and she was never going to do something amazing like Jazzy.

The path became surprisingly clearer, and the little girl figured she must have stumbled upon a well-used capture the flag trail. It sloped downhill for a moment before pausing in a clearing where Talia was surprised to find someone already waiting for her.

The man that stood opposite Talia wasn't very tall. He was rather short and as skinny as the twigs that had been catching at Talia's clothing for the past half an hour. He wore a dark red running suit with a matching bandana and a messenger bag that hung limply at his side.

Wait, if she weren't imagining this, did that mean that Talia had gone outside the camp borders? She looked behind her quickly, searching for the trail that she had just travelled, but it seemed to have been swallowed by the dense bushes again.

"You don't have to worry, Talia," the man said and the skater swiftly turned around again.

"How do you know my name?" Talia asked, placing her hands on her tiny hips. "I know kung-fu, you know. You better not be one of those guys that kidnaps people. My sister told me all about those kinds of people." In truth, Talia didn't know how to do kung-fu. She had never tried it in her life. She just wanted to sound mean and threatening, use her words to bite, the way Jazzy did sometimes.

The man chuckled. "Don't worry so much, I don't have any intentions on kidnapping you." He paused, scrunching his brow before pulling a cell phone out of his pocket. Two snakes were coiled around it and Talia choked back a sob. Jazzy hated spiders but Talia didn't mind them at all. They were interesting to look at. Jazzy loved snakes, but Talia would rather watch them get run over by a steam roller.

Sensing Talia's discomfort, the man glanced up from his mobile. "Oh, sorry," he said, pocketing the phone. "I forget sometimes that George and Martha can be a little unnerving for some people."

Talia straightened herself. "I wasn't scared," she retorted. "I just stepped on a really hard rock. My shoes aren't really made for taking long walks in the forest."

"Right," the man replied with a smile. "Listen, Talia. You have every right to be angry at Jasmine, but maybe you should go talk to her. She's probably looking for you right now."

Talia wanted to ask the man how he knew what Jazzy was up to, but she figured it would sound too childish. "How do you know Jazzy's name too?" she asked, setting her feet in a position that would allow her to make a hasty getaway.

The man seemed a little nervous about answer this question, and the blonde watched him pull his cell phone out again. His two snakes, George and Martha, were still wrapped around it tightly, and Talia thought she felt lunch coming back.

"I know a lot about you." The sentence snapped Talia out of her own thoughts and brought her attention back to the situation at hand. "I've known you all your life, Talia. I've been watching out for you, making sure that you made it to Camp Half-Blood safely. I promised someone I'd make sure my kids were safe."

"You're not my father," Talia snapped. She hoped she sounded like Jasmine when she screamed at their step-father when he told her she was grounded. She hoped she had that anger and authority in her voice.

The man smiled a little sadly before tucking his phone away. "Think what you like," he told her, "but you should be getting back to camp. The others are probably looking for you."

Talia nodded, not sure what to say. She seemed to have lost a large amount of confidence after the man smiled. The skater turned around to look for the path again and was surprised to find it with ease. She had been standing in front of it the whole time. She turned around to ask the man a final question, but was equally surprised to find that he was no where to be seen.

/The Plunge\

The first thing Talia asked when she got back to camp was, "Can I have a glass of water?" It wasn't 'Have you seen Jazzy?' or 'Do you know where Jasmine is?' It wasn't even included in the second question. She later asked if she missed dinner and was disappointed to find out that she did. However, the Hermes cabin had stolen a bag of marshmallows from Mr. D last week and had promised her half the bag for her dinner at the camp fire.

Talia tried to avoid Jazzy for the rest of the day, but when night fell she felt like she couldn't keep hiding. They always said goodnight to each other before turning in.

The younger sister found her elder down at the canoe lake. Jasmine was skipping flat rocks across its motionless surface, watching them sink into the cool depths.

"Jazzy?" Talia's voice broke the silence and her brunette sister jumped, clearly startled.

"Oh, Talia," Jasmine replied, relieved when she found it was only her sister behind her. "I'm glad you finally came to talk to me. I've been meaning to get a hold of you all day."

This comment made Talia a little nervous and guilty, but she only nodded her head. "I heard from another camper that you wanted to talk to me."

Jazzy cocked an eyebrow, but took a seat on the rocky shoreline anyway. "Well, you're here, and that's all that really matters."

Talia joined her sister on the rocks, letting the water splash onto her ballet flats. They were already ruined from her trek through the forest, so she figured that a little water wasn't going to hurt them much. She noticed Jasmine stayed a little farther back from the water, and Talia remembered Zeus and his brother Poseidon's agreement over turf. She figured it must apply to their children as well.

The silence fell between them again and Talia shifted nervously. Jasmine was usually so straight-forward when it came to matters between the two of them. What was going on?

"Talia?" Jazzy asked, suddenly breaking through the invisible barrier between them. "Do you know a lot about this quest that I was given?"

The question surprised Talia, and she was about to respond when she decided that maybe for once it would be better to think before speaking. Did she know a lot about it? Not really. Not at all, actually. She shook her head, not trusting her voice, and Jazzy sighed.

"It's The Quest of a Lifetime, Chiron tells me," she says as she pulls her long legs up and rests her chin on her knee. "He told me that the Gods have hidden themselves somewhere, and it is up to one demigod to find them. When they do, the Gods will tell that demigod their most important personality trait, the source to all their powers. Without believing in this trait, you can't be nearly as strong as you potentially could be."

"What does 'potentially' mean?" Talia asked, still not being able to grasp some of the longer words Jazzy had picked up from some of the other campers.

Jazzy sighed and shut her eyes, wishing that Talia was just a little older so she would understand. "It means 'possible', or something like that. I don't know! Can we just focus please?"

Talia nodded again, but Jasmine didn't see, still having her eyes closed. "The thing is, I'm only ten years old. Sure, I'm turning eleven in June, but that's still a long way's off. Your birthday's coming faster than mine."

There was a brief silence again and Talia worried Jazzy had fallen asleep, but the older girl started up again.

"I can't do this, Talia."

The younger skater snapped her head over towards Jazzy and sighed as tears ran down her sister's cheeks. Jazzy wasn't supposed to cry. Jazzy was tough and strong and reliable. When Talia lost at figure skating competitions, she'd cry and sob until there wasn't anything left in her eyes to leak. When Jazzy lost she just shrugged it off and went right back to skating, working hard to win the next competition. It was like the roles had now suddenly been reversed.

"Why not?" Talia found herself asking as her mind still wandered. Her thoughts trailed back to what she had been thinking of earlier, before she met the strange man in the forest. She would never get a chance to do this quest in a lifetime...

"I'm too young, I'm too scared, I could keep listing forever. I'm not courageous and I'm scared to find out in the end. I don't want to know the source of all my power. I just want to be normal."

Chiron had once told Talia that everyone told him they just wanted to be a normal kid within their first week of staying at Camp Half-Blood. "Nothing like a good old centaur to scare the good sense out of you," he told her one day as he helped her aim her bow and arrow at the target. It was only four feet away and Talia still failed to hit the target. That was the day they had decided she was not a daughter of Apollo.

"What are you going to do, Jazzy?" Talia asked, rocking backward slightly. "It's not like you can just send someone in your place. Once you're chosen, you have to go, right?"

But Jasmine wasn't looking so down anymore. Instead, she had this wicked gleam in her eye that reminded Talia of all the times they had pranked their step-father.

"Talia, have you ever wanted to be a brunette?" Jazzy asked, the smirk on her face widening.

/The Plunge\

When Talia had said she wished she were more like Jazzy, she wasn't sure if this is what she meant.

While on the shores of the lake with Jasmine, Talia had been told of a plan, a plan that involved sending someone else in Jasmine's place. At first, Talia hadn't clued in, but she seemed to get the message after Jasmine explained everything to her.

"Talia, you're so much better at these things than I am," Jazzy encouraged. "You'd love to do a quest like this."

Being only eight and three-quarters, Talia agreed.

They came up with a daring and devious plan, and the next day at nine in the morning, both Jazzy and Talia were sitting in a small clearing not too far into the forest with two children from the Aphrodite cabin.

Marina Henderson and Caleb Brown were known for their superb abilities at transforming people's looks. The two shared the spot as Head-of-Cabin and there was speculation on them dating.

"So, what are we doing here again?" Marina asked, twirling a long, spindly comb expertly between her equally long and spindly fingers.

"We need you to give us the best transformation possible," Jasmine replied. "We need you to turn us into different people."

"I'm going to look like Jazzy," Talia explained, hoping she could clear things up a bit. "And she's going to look like me!"

The two older campers exchanged looks and then began blabbering very quickly in a language that was completely foreign to Talia, meaning it wasn't English or Greek.

"Fine, we'll do it," Caleb agreed. "But you have to tell us why, or else the deal's off."

Talia and Jasmine exchanged nervous glances. There was a possibility that Marina and Caleb would tell Chiron about their plan on the quest.

"Can you keep a secret?" Talia blurted finally, causing Jazzy to groan.

Marina laughed. "Honey, you're talking to two kids from the Aphrodite cabin. We're the kings and queens of gossip."

Talia wasn't sure what gossip was, but she thought maybe it was something good, like keeping secrets.

"Well, Jazzy doesn't want to go on her quest so she's sending me instead," Talia chirped proudly, but Jasmine didn't seem to share the enthusiasm.

The older sister turned to the Aphrodite campers and said, "If you tell anyone about this before tomorrow night, I will personally make sure that your make-up helps aid the next bonfire."

This remark seemed to fuel the older kids into preparing to continue the transformation, and within five minutes Talia and Jazzy had switched hair colours.

"Now remember," Marina began, combing through Talia's new brown hair, "the spell will only last until your guys' bond is stretched to a certain length. Now, I don't know how long that goes, but you guys seem close, so it might get Talia out of New York."

"New York City, or New York State?" Jasmine asked sharply as Caleb handed her a mirror so she could glance at Talia's strawberry blonde hair on her head.

"State," Marina corrected, shooing the sisters away. "Now you guys better get a move on before somebody clues in on what we've been up to."

Jasmine and Talia thanked Marina and Caleb before pausing outside the Zeus cabin, where Talia had stowed her things the night before.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Talia?" Jazzy asked, fidgeting again.

Talia nodded. "I'll be okay, Jazzy," she assured. "It's only for a few days, right?"

The blonde-turned-brunette watched as her sister's eyebrows rose, but she nodded anyway. "Right," Jazzy said. "Just a few days."

"Good," Talia continued. "I'd hate to be away for so long."

There was an unnerving silence between them again before Jasmine pulled something out of her pocket. It was a sheathed dagger, the only weapon Jazzy owned.

"I want you to take this with you," Jazzy said as she handed her sister the dagger. "It will keep you as safe as I can hope."

Talia nodded, rather speechless, which was a first for her. She was normally so bubbly and energetic while Jazzy seemed to have grown in the year that they had stayed at Camp Half-Blood.

"Do I have to tell Chiron I'm leaving?" Talia asked as she stuck the dagger into the pocket of her skating jacket. She had to make sure no one saw the name by the collar because it read 'Talia' instead of 'Jazzy'. Jasmine's would be too big for her and would surely get caught on branches and such on her journey.

Jazzy shook her head. "I told him yesterday I'd leave whenever, so he might not see me off."

Talia nodded slowly, suddenly realizing that yesterday, this sounded like a great idea. She, Talia Aimee Strachan would be taking on the most famous quest in all of Half-Blood history. She would be remembered long after her lifetime. However, as appealing as it sounded, she wasn't sure if it appealed to her as much anymore.

"You better get going, Talia," Jasmine said as the two began making their way to Half-Blood Hill. "I want you to have a good head start in case Chiron decides to send people out to retrieve you."

At the top of the hill, Talia paused again and glanced back at the Camp. She hadn't left it since the day she arrived, and it suddenly felt strange to be leaving it behind. She wouldn't wake up in the morning to see Jake Anderson, her cabin leader, telling her to get up or they'd miss breakfast. She wouldn't have a chance to go riding with the Apollo cabin or strawberry picking with the satyrs. She was being thrown out into the big, bad world again.

_I have to be strong, _she found herself thinking. _I have to be like Jazzy. _

"I'll miss you," Talia said, giving her sister a hug. Jasmine didn't reply with words. She had turned her head away, and with a start, Talia realized that this was the start of the greatest adventure she would ever know.


	2. Chapter II: Walk This Way

**Would you believe I'm actually getting an update in like, uber fast? Haha. You better. **

**Chapter Disclaimer: I don't own the song Walk This Way by Aerosmith. It was used as inspiration for the title of this chapter.**

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**Walk This Way**

Unlike a lot of the other campers, Talia was familiar with the outside world. Being an unclaimed camper had its high points, one of them being that Talia spent quite some time away from the camp during the year. The last time she had been out was earlier that summer for a skating camp in upstate New York. Even Jasmine, who hardly ever left camp due to being a child of Zeus, attended.

However, as she stood on the other side of Half-Blood Hill, surveying the empty country road, the young blonde-turned-brunette was starting to have a bit of doubt. Where was she going to go now? How in all that was holy was she supposed to find the gods? They could be anywhere in the country and Talia was only two hundred feet out of camp.

"The city," she mumbled to herself, tugging self-consciously on her newly dyed hair. Everything felt weirder: the dagger in her pocket, the bag on her back, the ground under her feet. It felt surreal to be out in the world without a real purpose, or sense of direction.

Sense of direction! Talia opened one of the compartments on her backpack to find a golden compass that reminded her of a pocket watch. It opened like a locket to reveal an intricately designed compass rose that Talia needed to help her get into the city. It wouldn't do her any good to be walking in the wrong direction and waste valuable time.

Although Jazzy hadn't mentioned it when she had first offered Talia the quest, she only had three weeks to find the gods, wherever they may be hidden.

Talia examined the compass closely, watching the needle spin. She knew that New York was south of Camp Half-Blood but as she continued to scrutinize the navigational device in her hand she found that instead of pointing north, the needle had spun to the 's'. It was pointing in the direction Talia wanted to go instead of true north.

"Great," Talia voiced aloud. "Five minutes into the biggest quest in demigod history and my compass is already broken." However, something deep inside Talia told her that the direction the compass needle had been pointing was indeed south. With one last glance at the compass, she slid the golden chain around her neck and tucked it inside her shirt. She was so quick about it that she didn't even see the letters fade off the face.

The road into the city was long and plain. Dust coated the asphalt as if no one had driven it in ages, which was in fact, true. The last strawberry crop had been two weeks previous and as new campers hadn't arrived in quite some time, being the middle of summer break, no cars had travelled the road. Besides, there was no point. To any mortal the road led no where but a large strawberry crop and then dead ended near the Long Island Sound.

Long Island. She was on Long Island. It was going to take forever to get back into the city on foot. Why hadn't she taken a Pegasus or asked Argus for a ride in? Talia knew the answers, of course, but she couldn't help but grumble as she trudged along the road. It wasn't long until she hit civilization, but even then she hadn't thought of any ideas. Three weeks wasn't a long time if you were going to be walking the entire way.

The more populated road that Talia had stumbled upon was filled with cars heading into Brooklyn or Manhattan, each streaming past her with reckless abandon. No one paid any attention to the eight-year-old on the side of the road.

_And who would? _Talia asked herself. New Yorkers were all the same. They were all too important for everyone else, and it was something that Talia had never gotten used to in the one and a half years she had been living at Camp Half-Blood.

As she continued to trudge down the side of the road, the thought of hitchhiking crossed her mind. No one was stopping because she wasn't asking them to stop. Jasmine had taught her about hitchhiking once, just in case things went bad back home, and Talia searched her mind for the memory. Right, stick out your thumb and pray someone will stop for you.

If Talia had been a little older and a little less naive, she would have maybe come across the thought of how embarrassing the whole procedure was, but she wasn't a little older and she wasn't a little less naive and so she waited for someone to pick her up. Being the adorable little eight-year-old that she was, it didn't take long.

A lady with a minivan pulled over not even ten minutes after Talia had started. Matteo Hughes, the leader of the Hermes cabin, had once told her to be wary of anyone who seemed interested in a demigod, but Talia couldn't see this lady as being a threat. She had three kids in the backseat all under the age of ten. If they turned into monsters too, Talia would have given up skating.

"Do you need some help, honey?" The lady asked, rolling down the window of her minivan.

"Yes please," Talia replied in her most convincing 'my-life-is-so-horrible-please-help-me' voice. "I just want to get in to Manhattan."

"That's where we're going!" One of the boys in the back chimed. "We're going to the carnival booths in Central Park."

_Carnival booths? _ Talia thought. It could be a good place to start because really, Talia didn't know what she was looking for. A clue of some sort, according to her sister. The clue was hidden somewhere in the city and could only be made out by the demigod of the quest. Jasmine had been sceptical about whether or not Talia would be able to see it or not as she had not been the chosen half-blood, but was up taking the quest instead.

"Don't worry about it," Jazzy had said. "We'll deal with it when we get there."

"That's where I want to go too," Talia chimed brightly. "But... we don't have a car so my mommy said if I wanted to get there I needed to walk."

"You'll be walking all day then," the oldest boy replied.

"Well, do you have a place to go in Manhattan?" The mother asked. It was clear that she wanted to help Talia, though not be outright responsible for her. If it involved carting this girl all over the city, than she would probably just tell her to go home.

"My grandma lives not too far from Central Park," Talia invented wildly. She had never been a good liar so she hoped the lady would buy the story. Her grandparents lived in Canada, a far stretch from the concrete jungle of New York City. "I... I could walk there when I'm done at the carnival booths."

The mother cast a glance at Talia, taking in the black skating jacket with the long, coloured tunic tank-top poking out from underneath and a pair of dark black leggings matched with equally black ballet flats. The backpack slung over the girl's shoulder should have been the giveaway that she didn't have intentions of staying in New York, but the mother simply figured it to be an overnight bag.

"We can give you a ride in to the carnival booths," she said with a sigh as she unlocked the car and motioned for the front seat. It wasn't strictly safe to have children under the age of twelve, let alone tiny girls under the age of twelve, sitting in the front seat due to the airbags, but she had three boys in the back and hadn't added the extra seats to the minivan.

"Thanks a million," Talia chimed as she climbed in and dropped her backpack on the floor at her feet. The minivan pulled back into the lane and sped off towards Manhattan as Talia silently congratulated herself for her first obstacle overcome.

/Walk This Way\

The carnival booths that had set up in Central Park for a one weekend only event were the types you'd find at the state fair. Throw a dart, pop a balloon, get a prize. Throw a ball, knock down the bottles, get a prize. Simple acts that brought so many kids so much joy, but Talia was going to be mature and keep her head on straight. She had no idea where to go to find the clue she was looking for and simply out of frustration she pulled the golden compass from beneath her jacket and examined it, as if it would magically reveal to her the whereabouts of her first clue.

It was only at this time that Talia noticed something was off about her compass, though she couldn't quite place it. The artefact was old, dating back through the ages and had been given to her by a member of the Hermes cabin, no doubt stolen from an unlucky camper and passed down through the hands of the children of the Messenger of the Gods.

The needle was spinning erratically, a whirling blur in the glass casing protecting it. "Stupid compass," Talia muttered. "If I had the time I'd take you in to get checked. " But there wasn't time, and as if understanding completely what she was saying, the needle stopped, pointing somewhere off to the right.

Subconsciously, Talia turned her gaze to follow the needle, allowing herself to look upon a booth that seemed set apart from the others. It had glittering gold decorations and laid out upon the purple velvet table cloth were five, shimmering apples, the narrow beams of sunlight reflecting off their golden surfaces that matched the decorations of the booth. The sign next to the booth read, "Win a Golden Apple," and if Talia had been paying enough attention like her sister would have told her to, she would have noticed that the board was written in curvy Ancient Greek.

Something drew Talia towards the stand. It wasn't like the others where it took skills and precision to win the prize. It most likely had to do with wit, and while Talia was no daughter of Athena, she was smart enough to know how to win these kinds of games, or at least, she hoped.

"Welcome, child," the maintainer said in a sickly sweet voice. She had platinum blonde hair plaited neatly at the back of her head and wore a white sun dress with intricate golden trim around the neck line. "Welcome to Erin's Booth of Desire. You pick the real apple and win it and whatever prize it may hide inside." Somehow, Talia figured that the 'real apple' wasn't in fact the kind of apple that you ate, but the one that held what you may find desirable. It seemed simple enough.

"How much?" Talia asked, reaching in her bag for the change purse that held her mortal and demigod money.

"One golden drachma," Erin replied, and Talia handed over the money of the gods, without so much as a second glance. She was wary now, though unsure. The apples were part of a myth from ancient times, though she couldn't remember what they connected to. However, if her theory was right and what she desired most was hidden in an apple than the clue was almost in her grasp. One gold drachma would have to be the price.

"So, I just pick an apple and that's it?" The young skater asked as she examined each closely. There was no way to distinguish one from another without touching them.

As if reading her mind, Erin replied, "Yes. Pick an apple and win it and whatever it may hold. No touching the apples though, unless you've made your decision."

Talia straightened, fidgeting. How was she supposed to tell which was the apple she wanted if she couldn't touch any of them? It seemed impossible now, and she fiddled with the golden compass, feeling the needle act up again. It spun wildly, before resting in what Talia felt to be slightly to her left.

_Well, nothing to lose really, _the blonde-turned-brunette thought miserably as she pointed at the apple sitting directly left of the one in the middle.

Erin's eyes narrowed briefly before she picked up the apple and tucked it under the table. "Pick again," she said, "until the last apple standing is left."

"But you never told me that!" Talia exclaimed, eyes widening. "If I had known that I would have picked differently."

"Fine, you get a redo, but only because you're too young to remember all the rules."

Talia's blood boiled as Erin swept all the apples off the table before picking them up again and re-arranging them on the velvet table cloth. The familiar feel of the spinning compass needle told her that perhaps picking the apple on the far right would be the best bet.

"That one," Talia said, pointing to the far left instead. Erin picked it up loftily and handed it to Talia.

"Here you go then," she said sweetly. "Take it and run along."

"But I have to go until there's only one apple left," Talia said stupidly, looking appalled. Her clue was waiting for her inside the apple on the far right and Talia was playing the game like Erin had told her to.

"Rules change, sweet cheeks," Erin snarled, thrusting the apple at Talia, who shook her head.

"No way," she said. "Give me my drachma back and let me pick the apple I _really _want."

"That's not how we do things here, Talia," Erin replied back. If the young skater hadn't been so caught up in the anger directed at the stall owner, she may have wondered how Erin had known her name.

"Fine," Talia countered. "Two can play at that game." She turned her back on Erin, looking out at the people scattered around the park. There were dozens of families here, more than enough people to cause a diversion.

Because if Talia had learned anything from Bree Whitley, leader of the Athena cabin, it was that a diversion was the best tactic for Capture the Flag, no matter how many times the other team expected it.

"Help!" Talia screeched, causing the closest passerby's to cast their wary eyes upon the tiny girl. "This lady stole my money! Help!" She backed up into the booth as a few families drew near and a couple security guards also. Soon, they had flanked the booth and Erin and Talia was gone, taking two apples with her: the one with the clue and the one Erin had offered her, which was in fact a real apple painted gold.

"You never know when you'll get hungry," Talia voiced aloud, a twinkle in her laugh as she tossed the apple into her backpack and headed off to find a secluded area to try and unravel the mystery of the golden apple.

/Walk This Way\

After fifteen minutes of winding herself through trees and down empty paths, Talia figured she was safe from Erin's wrath. Not having much experience with things demigods encountered on their quests, Talia was unsure of what to make of Erin. Had she been a monster or even a goddess? Or perhaps a demigod like herself. The thought puzzled through Talia's head for a moment before returning to the golden apple she had picked up from the stall, the one that her compass had told her to get.

The compass! When Talia had time she would definitely be taking a closer look at it. It was like it had a mind of its own, just knowing which apples to pick. However, Talia wasn't one hundred percent sure the apple she was holding was the one with the clue in it.

_I should have just taken them all, _she thought with a bit of panic. _Then there would be no second guessing. _Still, the apple in her hand felt like it belonged there, like it was _just right. _ It was this feeling that reassured Talia of her misgivings.

But now, how to open it? Talia glared at the apple in her hand, willing it to open. This would perhaps prove she was a daughter of Demeter and her mother had been lying to her for eight years, but someone Talia doubted that. It wasn't a real apple, but it didn't feel like it was made of anything else. Should she bite it? Smash it? Talia opted for the first option, deciding that it was an apple after all. What better way to unlock its secrets than to eat it?

It tasted like a regular apple but underneath the initial taste, it was a hundred times better. It was juicy, crisp with beautiful white insides and the flavour of all the apples in the world together.

As Talia continued eating the apple dwindled until all that was left was the core and the stem. Nothing else. Disappointed, the young skater was about to toss the core into a garbage when something caught her eye. A miniscule ruby was inlaid in the core and Talia gazed at it for a moment before picking it out. Immediately, the core melted away to reveal a tube of rolled parchment, undamaged despite the fact of being hidden inside an apple.

Excitedly, Talia pocketed the small gem which she could no doubt sell in times of need and unrolled the scroll, her eyes scanning the curvy Ancient Greek handwriting.

_So young demigod,_

_You have found this little clue._

_Shows next spot on back._

_-I am Apollo_

_God of Poetry and such_

_Give me some food please!_

Perhaps her father was Apollo after all, Talia mused, but even as she thought it she knew it to be untrue. She was absolute rubbish with a bow and arrow and besides, this clue was meant for anyone. It had just simply been Talia who had stumbled upon it.

She flipped it over, watching as ink spread across the page to show a tiny map of the United States. A small golden sun appeared in the state of Louisiana, New Orleans to be exact.

Talia smiled as she pocketed the parchment. Finally, she was getting somewhere. Still, the aspect of getting to New Orleans bothered her. How was she supposed to get there?

"I'll take a bus," she decided and without a second thought she exited the park and headed off to find someone who could tell her where the nearest bus station was.


	3. Chapter III: Fly With Me

**I wanted to get this update done before I left for the coast for the weekend, so here it is. I'm not too sure about the ending, but I guess it's alright. Anyway, enjoy and thanks for reading :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song Fly With Me which was used as the title of this chapter. All rights and such belong to the Jonas Brothers. ^^;**

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**Fly With Me**

"Sorry, miss. We don't have any direct lines down to New Orleans. You can take one down through New Jersey and catch a transfer from there, but the transfers are going to cost you, and you don't exactly look like a young lady with a lot of dough."

Talia scowled at the man at the bus station ticket booth and stalked away. If she didn't even have enough money for all the transfers she'd need to get down to Louisiana, then she wasn't going to have enough for an airline ticket either. She wasn't about to hitchhike again either. Talia had been lucky with the lady near Camp Half-Blood, but she knew not all people were as friendly and there were monsters lurking around every corner. Just because she wasn't claimed didn't mean that monsters wouldn't be hunting her.

_I could ride a bike, _Talia thought, but quickly scrapped the idea. Though faster than walking Talia would definitely make it to New Orleans... in two weeks. She was starting to panic though. If she couldn't even make it out of New York City the quest would be an official fail. No question about that.

Why hadn't Jazzy taken it instead? It had made more sense as she was older and more experienced and was fully aware of her powers and would be more able to complete the tasks at hand.

The chattering voices of the station filled the young blonde's head and with a sigh, Talia took a seat on the curb as she tried to sort out her thoughts. What was her next move? How was she going to get out of New York, and what would she do when she did? By leaving the city it would become quite clear that she wasn't Jasmine as her hair colour would change back to its natural golden blonde and Jazzy's would revert back to chestnut brown. Would someone be sent out to look for her? Not likely, but she couldn't be too careful.

"Oi! Wotcher!"

Something soft but with substantial weight collided with Talia's tiny body and the she tumbled over, followed by whatever had bumped into her. When the skater looked up she saw that a girl, perhaps fifteen years of age, picking herself up off the ground.

"Sorry 'bout that," she said, her voice coming out in a heavy British accent. "I didn't even see you there. You ought to not sit there on the curb where people can just run over you like I just did."

Talia nodded but continued to stare at the girl. She had a pail face and dark hazel eyes that matched beautifully with dark mahogany hair that cascaded in large shiny ringlets around her face. Black eyeliner and mascara highlighted her eyes but also seemed to make her more alluring. She was fashionable, with outfits Talia saw in the magazines that the Aphrodite children were always flipping through and had the lean body of an athlete. However, what caught Talia's attention was the long steel whip in the girl's right hand. It had a sharp point at the end and the chord looked as if it could cut through anything.

The girl must have noticed Talia staring because she hastily pressed a button on the side of the handle and it reverted to an ordinary tube of lip gloss. "Could you see that?" She asked, gesturing wildly to the air in front of her where the weapon had once been.

"I... um... yeah," Talia replied lamely, her fingers twisting in the hem of her shirt. She had found another demigod in New York. Perhaps things weren't so bad after all.

"Are you a half-blood?" The girl asked, dropping the lip gloss tube into the pocket of her American Eagle hoodie. She cast Talia a wary glance, obviously not too sure. After all, Talia was only eight and not the most well-trained demigod she had ever seen.

"Unclaimed," Talia replied, "but yeah, a half-blood."

There was a moment of uncertain silence as the two girls took each other in, sizing the other up.

"Well, I'm Nikki Lucas," the Brit said finally, breaking the ice. "Daughter of Nike."

"I'm Talia, daughter of... well, you know," Talia replied sheepishly, scuffing the toe of her ballet flat on the ground. They were new after she had ruined her others on her trek through the forest. Suddenly, that had seemed like a lifetime away, a lifetime since she said good-bye to Jasmine, since she Iris messaged her and found out the truth about the quest. A lifetime since things were normal.

"So, Talia," Nikki said, stepping closer and motioning for Talia to join her on the bench against the ticket booth. "What are you doing out here in this big, bad world?"

"I'm on a quest," the skater replied, taking the seat next to Nikki. "The Quest of a Lifetime."

The name obviously meant something to Nikki, for the girl's eye-lined lids widened, clearly surprised. The expression vanished after a moment and Nikki turned her face towards the road, thinking for a moment. Talia was ultimately surprised when, instead of asking if she was a little young, Nikki said, "Where are you off to?"

"I was going to New Orleans," Talia replied. "But I'm on a bit of a tight schedule and I don't have enough money to make it down to Louisiana with all the transfers and stuff." She sighed, pulling her feet onto the bench and resting her chin on her knees. For the first time (and probably not the last) since embarking on this quest, Talia felt like she was going to cry. But she couldn't, she reminded herself. If Jasmine couldn't be strong enough than Talia would be.

Nikki, on the other hand, seemed lost in thought again. Under the probing gaze of Talia's sky blue eyes she returned the gaze, a smile plastered on her face. "I can help you," she said exuberantly, but seeing the untrusting expression painted across Talia's features, she sighed. "There's no way to prove to you that I'm a good person, but I don't work for the bad guys, if that's what you want to know. I run errands for my mother, Nike, for when there's too much stuff to attend to. I'm going down to Florida to help an environmental group win a cause but we're stopping in New Orleans for a flight change. I can get you on that flight for no charge of course."

Talia's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked, forgetting about keeping her guard up. The prospect of finding a way out of New York state was good news that she longed to hear.

"Definitely," Nikki replied. "I was taught how to control the Mist and I can use it to our advantage. It may be cheating the guy at the ticket counter at the airport, but my mum'll pay him back for me. Of course, that means a lot more errand running on my part, but you look like you could use the help, kid."

"Oh, thank-you, Nikki!" Talia squealed, throwing her arms around the lanky Brit who's cheeks flamed red. "One day I'll make it up to you, I promise!"

/Fly With Me\

True to her word, Nikki was able to get Talia on the same flight she was taking down to New Orleans. The world was starting to look mighty fine from the window seat in the first class section and Talia marvelled at the passing sky. She was extremely lucky to have even bumped into Nikki (or rather, have Nikki bump into her) but the skater knew that after this she'd have to find her own way around the country. There was no way that the quest was confined to just the eastern half of the United States. Talia would have to go west sometime.

"I have a contact in New Orleans that's agreed to make sure you're safe," Nikki said as she turned off her BlackBerry. Talia noticed the famous Nike swoosh on the back and realized that perhaps the goddess used it as well, a benefit of having a company named after her. "You do whatever you need to do there and he'll see you safely on your way to your next destination."

"Nikki, thanks again," Talia chimed as the older girl handed her a bottle of water from the passing cart. "I mean-"

"Don't sweat it," Nikki replied, waving her hand dismissively. "This is big, and my mom would want you to succeed. That's probably why I'm doing so many errands these days; she's probably keeping an eye on you as you gallivant across the country." With a bark of laughter she pulled out an iPod and set the earphones in. "We'll be there in three hours, so get some sleep or something 'cause you'll have a busy day ahead of you."

Sensing the end of their conversation, Talia turned her attention back to the sky outside the window and pondered the next step in her quest. How was she going to find the next clue? She tried to recall how she had found the first one, thinking back to what had made her notice Erin's tent. Talia closed her eyes, conjuring up the memory of the carnival booths and the sights and sounds of Central Park.

When she had entered she had no idea where to begin, but something had drawn her away from the hustle and bustle of the main attractions. Talia strived to remember every minute detail about the time in the park, unconsciously fingering the golden compass around her neck. For once, the needle wasn't spinning and Talia popped the lid open, glancing at the face. The needle was pointing towards the head of the plane and quavered with every dip and swerve.

_My compass! _Talia thought excitedly. She had been holding it when the needle had started spinning out of control and led her to Erin's tent. Was it some sort of magnet for Greek magic? Probably not, or she would have known Nikki was coming before they had bumped into each other, but then again, Talia hadn't been holding the compass. Perhaps it was attracted to clues, but then it had led the way into Manhattan on the farm road. Whatever it was attracted to, it hadn't seemed to have led Talia wrong and she was going to have to trust it when they touched down in New Orleans. Though definitely not as big as New York, a city was a city and there were an infinite amount of places that the clue could be hiding.

"Uh, Talia?"

Nikki's voice startled the skater, and she turned her blue eyes meeting Nikki's hazel ones. The older girl was staring peculiarly at Talia and she scrunched her face in confusion. "What?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"Well, it's just that your hair changed colour just now," Nikki said slowly, twirling gently at a strand of Talia's natural golden locks. Talia grimaced slightly, bobbing her head. It meant that she and Jasmine had reached their limit and that her older sister's hair had no doubt reverted to its original colour as well.

"Magic," she muttered. "What can you do?"

/Fly With Me\

Over the next three hours, Talia spent the time watching the TV plugged into the back of the seat in front of her. They didn't have TV's at Camp Half-Blood and it had been a long time since Talia had had the luxury of watching things like the Disney Chanel. She laughed along with the punch lines and hummed along with Hannah Montana's songs. Jasmine didn't like Hannah Montana but Talia did.

_"To each her own," _Jazzy had muttered but Talia didn't know what that had meant.

In what seemed like no time at all they were touching down in the Loius Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. With a sigh, Talia stood with the rest of the crowd, grabbing her backpack from under her seat and following Nikki off the plane. She was going to miss the plush seats and the TV time and the stewardess who waited on your every move. The closest she had come to that before had been living in the Hermes cabin where the real sons of Hermes treated her like family, or more so than the others (but Talia had always suspected it was because of her age).

As they walked down the narrow hallway from the plane to the boarding lounge, Nikki began jabbering away again in her heavily accented voice. "So, my contact will meet us in the boarding lounge because I was able to get him a pass this far in. He'll take you into the city to do your business because I can't leave or else I'll miss my connector."

With a pang, Talia realized that part of the comfort of riding on the flight had been having Nikki around. She was older, more street-smart and always knew what she was doing. Once again, Talia would be thrust back into the world without much of a plan besides following the compass wherever it led her.

The lights of the boarding room were harsh and artificial compared the blaring sun that Talia had gotten used to for the duration of the flight. She squinted, following Nikki who was expertly weaving her way through the crowd of people waiting to get on the plane they had just vacated. When they were close to the exit Nikki apparently saw her contact, for she grabbed Talia's arm and hollered, "Oi, Emmett!"

Talia followed Nikki's gaze, catching a glimpse of a boy standing off in the corner. He was the kind of person that the Aphrodite children would swoon over and even make the Athena girls look up from their books. He had jet black hair styled easily into a faux hawk and sparkling, hypnotic eyes to match. He flashed a dazzling grin at both girls and stood up from where he had been leaning against the wall.

"Nice to see you again, Nikki," he said, embracing Talia's companion in a hug. Now that they were close Talia could say the boy was easily thirteen or fourteen; younger than Nikki but older than Jasmine.

"Yeah, I haven't spoken to you in forever!" Nikki chirped happily. She tugged on Talia's arm, bringing her forward. "Emmett, this is Talia, another demigod who is undertaking a very important quest. Talia, this is Emmett Valois, an unclaimed demigod who I met on a fishing tour out in California. He's always travelling around so he makes a good contact for times like these. Lucky you were here in New Orleans, Em."

Emmett laughed but Talia couldn't help but notice something off. She couldn't quite place it, but the smallest hint of hollowness seemed to underline Emmett's normally cheerful laugh. "Yeah, no kidding. Where you off to again?"

"Florida," Nikki replied, explaining to Emmett about her latest errand for her mother. Emmett nodded along, keeping track of the chattering Brit and all too soon it was time to say good-byes.

"Here's my cell phone number, in case you need to call," Nikki said, handing Talia a slip of paper. The young girl took it gratefully, tucking it into her compass. "But I wouldn't count on getting another flight to your next destination. I have a feeling that this was a one time only thing, you know? Like it was fate, destiny..." She trailed off, pursing her lips. "But I wish you the best of luck, Talia. You're an extraordinary girl, you know that? You may not, but I can feel it. You have the makings of becoming someone very powerful."

Talia could only nod, not trusting her voice. She wasn't going to cry because Jasmine wouldn't cry in a situation like this. Besides, she had Emmett now which was almost like having Nikki, right? The lanky Brit gave each of her companions a swift hug before bouncing off through the terminal to her next destination, leaving Talia and Emmett to navigate themselves into the musical city of New Orleans.

/Fly With Me\

The warm sea breeze ruffled Talia's hair as she and Emmett exited the airport. She fingered the compass around her neck lightly, not wanting to draw attention to it and waited patiently as the needle stopped spinning, pointing somewhere to her right.

"What's that way?" Talia asked, turning to Emmett and raising her right hand, gesturing to the direction her compass had instructed her to go.

"Just the wharfs and stuff," Emmett replied, casting a piercing gaze at Talia. "Why? Do you need to go there or something?"

"I think so," the blonde replied. "I think there's something over there that I need to get." Thankfully, Emmett didn't ask anymore questions but hailed them a cab that soon had them speeding off towards the ocean.

It was a short ride and Emmett paid (to Talia's relief) and the two of them soon found themselves standing on an old wooden fishing dock. The boats that were normally tethered to it were out to sea, collecting the day's haul.

"So, what are we looking for?" Emmett asked as he gazed around. Talia noticed that his hand was resting lightly on what suspiciously looked like the hilt of a sword.

"Something out of the ordinary," Talia replied, but what caught her eye next definitely qualified for something not normal. Raising out of the water appeared to be a crab, only not the kind that people commonly ate for dinner. This crab had to be the size of the taxi the two demigods had just vacated and they stared at it in frozen fear as it climbed onto the wharf.

"Talia, back up!" Emmett ordered, tugging on the girl's skating jacket. The blonde stumbled backwards, landing heavily on her backside as Emmett pulled out a celestial bronze sword and attempted to attack the monstrous crab. However, something glittering in the sun drew Talia's attention away.

Clasped tightly in one of the crab's claws was an aquamarine capsule which Talia no doubt figured held the next clue. She drew her dagger, gripping it tightly as she contemplated the way to best access the claw. Finally, she saw her chance.

"Emmett!" She called, racing up to stand beside him. "Give me a boost." She recited her plan and as they fended off the beast, the older unclaimed half-blood hesitantly agreed.

"Fine, if you're sure it will work," Emmett said. With a roar he thrust his sword into a kink in the crab's armour, cupped his hands together and waited. Talia's ballet flat stepped into his waiting hands and he lifted as she jumped, sending her somersaulting backwards towards the crab. Emmett grabbed his sword and continued to hold off the crab as Talia sailed through the air, only just managing to catch the crab's claw that held the clue before slipping on its slippery armour.

Sensing that something was on him, the crab's pincer closed, crushing Talia's hand which had just managed to grab the capsule. She shrieked in pain, before wildly stabbing her dagger into the claw, wrenching it quickly and causing the crab to let go. Talia landed with a thud on the dock below, whimpering at her broken hand as she made her way slowly back to Emmett who had found just the right spot to stab the crab. With a nasty cry the monster exploded in a shower of dust, raining down on the two exhausted demigods below.

With tears streaming down her face, Talia shuddered as Emmett grabbed her and held her tightly, fishing in his pocket for something. When he pulled away he handed Talia a square of what looked like short cake.

"It's ambrosia," he explained as Talia nibbled it between hiccupping sobs. "It will help heal your hand so that it won't hurt so much." True to his word, the pain lessened in Talia's right hand until it was only a dull throb.

"Thank-you, Emmett," Talia said, wiping her eyes and nose on the sleeve of her jacket. Emmett merely nodded, staring curiously at the capsule in Talia's injured hand.

"What is that?" the older boy asked, but before Talia could explain a second shriek filled the air. Whirling on the spot, both demigods turned their attention to the sky, the source of the noise that had startled them.

Flying towards them was the ugliest creature Talia had ever seen (besides snakes of course). It was a winged lady with feet that had talons like a raptor. She shrieked again, dive bombing the demigods who both dropped to the wood of the dock just in time.

"A harpy!" Emmett exclaimed, picking up his fallen sword. He brandished it as the harpy swooped in for another attack, but it didn't seem to be interested in him. Instead, it headed straight for Talia, who let out a shriek of her own and rolled to one side, the capsule flying from her hand and rolling across the dock. The harpy snatched it up in her talons before circling around, this time, honing in for the kill. As Talia stood Emmett backed into her, and without a second thought he pushed her into the warm ocean water below to protect her as he fought the harpy.

It wouldn't have been so bad if Talia had actually known how to swim.


	4. Chapter IV: Keep Moving Forward

**Sorry it's been a while. I was just having some writer's block of sorts and I had other things I was trying to get done (and _didn't _get done, mind you) and it took me a while.**

**And sorry if this chapter seems a little long; it's almost one thousand words more than the previous chapters, but hey, that's the price we pay for a little action. Cheers.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Meet the Robinsons, who's catch phrase is the title of this chapter.**

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Any other time, Talia would have been scolding herself for losing her cool and panicking. But when you're eight years old and you don't know how to swim and you're sinking to the depths of the ocean, it's kind of a natural instinct to panic.

Talia's arms flailed around her wildly as she attempted to bring herself back up to the surface that was slowly disappearing from sight. The water below her was dark and foreboding and the tiny skater prayed to Poseidon to save her, help her, anything, but she knew no help would come. Poseidon would not spare her life because this was a life or death quest, sink or swim situation.

If Talia had been above water, tears would be streaming from here eyes. After all that work, all that help from Nikki and Emmett, she would die here at the bottom of the ocean where no one would know but Emmett, who was probably going to get sliced to shreds by that harpy. She would have let her sister down, not to mention the entire demigod community and she would never, ever, get to know who her godly parent was.

Trying to reign in her wild-running emotions was difficult, especially when one was running out of breath, but Talia tried. She tried thinking of camp and her sister and her mom back home in Canada and ice skating and suddenly, it felt like she could breathe easily again. In fact, Talia inhaled sharply and instantly felt calmer.

She realized she was breathing under water.

That thought alone was almost enough to send Talia into a second panic attack, but glancing around herself once told her she was in fact trapped inside a large air bubble.

_Maybe Poseidon is my father! _Talia thought happily as she examined the ocean from her new and comfortable viewing area. Things didn't look so bad now that she was safe. Sure, fish swam by and gave her strange looks, but nothing too serious like a shark, or a whale, or a giant squid, or a submarine...

"Hello, Talia."

The voice spooked Talia so much that she let out a rather loud and incoherent shriek. Whirling in her bubble she found herself facing what looked like a very pretty lady, yet something was off about her. It looked like she was made of water, swirling and twisting and turning with the currents, her hair flying out behind her and her eyes as deep and fathomable as the ocean beneath them. It was bizarre, really, but Talia quickly gained her bearings again and calmed herself down.

"Who are you?" she asked, leaning forward in her bubble so her nose almost touched the edge.

"I am a sea guardian," the lady replied, her voice as sweet and melodic as the sound of the surf slapping the shore. "I have been watching you, Talia. There are many important things you must know about this quest and I fear for your safety because everything I am about to tell you will make this quest more dangerous than it was before."

The thought sent Talia's head spinning. She was only on her first day and she'd already been tricked by some mysterious person, got her hand squashed by a giant crab, attacked by a harpy and nearly drowned. If there were more dangers to face in this quest then Talia was going to need a game plan rather than just trusting her compass.

"I-I can take it," Talia stuttered, watching as the sea guardian floated calmly around her bubble. There was uncertainty in her voice, but she also hoped that the sea guardian would sense bravery.

"As I thought you would," the water being replied. "Ultimately, you are part of a bigger plan, a prophecy in fact, made millennia ago by the original Oracle of Delphi. Many have forgotten, but those old enough to remember have. I am one of those beings."

_I'm part of a prophecy? _The skater thought. She had remembered hearing about those who had been part of great prophecies in the past; was this perhaps her time?

"What is it?" Talia asked, eager to hear her fate, but the sea guardian shook her head.

"It is not your time to know," she responded. "Only when you are ready will the God of Prophecies tell you."

Talia racked her brains, trying to remember everything Bree had told her about the gods. Who had been the God of Prophecies? As if reading her mind, the first clue seemed to burn deeply in her pocket and Talia's face lit up. Apollo, twin to Artemis, would tell her her true destiny when she was ready.

"Then what are you here to tell me?" Talia asked, returning her thoughts to the present situation at hand. "Are you here to tell me who my parent is? Is it Poseidon? That would explain the bubble."

The sea guardian's laugh was as delicate as her voice. "No, dear child," she replied. "Your father is not the Sea God. But you are right to ask for why you are here. I have come to tell you to watch yourself and those you rally with. The world of man is a land of thievery and disloyalty and honesty is hard to come by. Stay true to what you know, Talia, for it will keep you safe."

Talia bobbed her head before another thought crossed her mind. "My clue," she said miserably. "That harpy stole my clue from me before Emmett pushed me into the water. I need it so I can make it to my next destination."

The sea guardian smiled, pushing a lock of free-floating hair away from her beautiful face. "The harpies have set up a location in the French Quarter. Emmett will know where it is. Be careful though, Talia, and remember what I told you about those you meet on this quest. Things are not always what they seem."

Talia locked away the information of the French Quarter into her mind, but already her sight was going foggy. What was going on? Before her mind could answer the question, the sea guardian faded from her sight and a rush of water flew up to meet her.

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Talia was inexplicably comfortable. There was no other way to describe how content she felt, though she had no idea where she was. Still, if she could lie wherever she was for the rest of her life and not be bothered by quests and sisters and the troubles she would face and great prophecies, life would be perfect.

But the dull sound of waves crashing against the shore was slowly creeping into her ears and the smell of salty sea air invaded her nose. Even though her eyes were tightly shut, Talia could still see fragments of golden sun shining through her eyelids, persuading her to open her bright blue eyes and look around.

"Talia! Talia! Oh, thank the gods I found you!"

The voice was familiar and Talia racked her brains to place the voice to a name, a face, anything. The sound of crunching rocks as the figure raced across the treacherous terrain towards her made her wonder what was so important. She felt the small pebbles slide into her arm as whoever had been looking for her stopped abruptly and bent down to kneel next o her.

"Talia? Oh jeeze, don't let her be dead," the voice murmured, placing two fingers against the side of her neck. Talia's heart thudded in her chest as she wondered what the person was doing, but when she heard him sigh she decided that maybe she should open her eyes and find out who this person was and why he was so concerned about her.

A boy with concern etched all over his face was leaning over her. Talia studied his eyes, noticing how they seemed to be as dark and deep as the ocean was mysterious and endless. His hair, which had previously been styled with gel into a faux hawk was lying a top his head, wavering in the breeze slightly.

Suddenly, a torrent of memories washed over Talia; the battle with the crab and the harpy, Emmett pushing her into the ocean, meeting the sea guardian. Everything came flooding back into Talia's head and she sat up with such a start that only Emmett's ADHD enhanced reflexes allowed him from getting his head knocked back by Talia's.

"Oh, Emmett!" Talia exclaimed, her eyes locking on his. "What happened? Are you alright? Did you get the clue? Oh, wow, I have so much to tell you!"

With a sigh, Emmett smiled, helping the young skater to her feet. She stumbled on the uneven rocks and after taking a look around, determined that the sea guardian had dumped her on a small outcropping of rocks not too far from the pier where she had fallen in.

"Well, how about you tell me in a hotel room," Emmett suggested, leading Talia back across the rocks and onto the sidewalk. "It's getting close to sunset and I'm pretty sure that you could use a shower and some sleep."

Talia laughed as they hailed another taxi. Although the future was looking a little grim, at least now she had a clear view of where she needed to go.

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They found a rather rundown motel to stay at, but it was close to the French Quarter and affordable for two demigods. The beds were hard and lumpy, but nothing worse than the cabin floor that she had slept on in the Hermes cabin (occasionally someone had been nice enough to share their tiny bunk with her, but more often than not Talia found herself sleeping on the floor). Talia dropped her bag on the floor next to one of the beds and sat down, removing her ballet flats and placing them over a heat vent. All her clothes were sopping wet and she went through her bag, grabbing a change of clothes before dashing off into the bathroom to change and hang her clothes out to dry.

When she returned to the main part of the room, Emmett was waiting patiently for her on the other bed. He'd fixed his hair a bit so that it at least no longer hung in his face but he evidently wasn't going to bother styling it again until the morrow.

"Tell me about what you know," he insisted, but Talia shook her head.

"No, not yet," she said. "Instead, tell me what happened after you pushed me off the dock."

Emmett's cheeks flamed red and he ducked his head, but after a moment he began a hurried and slightly muted version of what had happened.

"The harpy had the clue so naturally I went to attack her to retrieve it. But harpies are cowardly monsters in the sense that they will only fight when absolutely necessary. I was about to chase after her when I remembered that you were in the water so I went to look for you. I thought you'd hidden under the dock, but when I couldn't find you I started to get worried. It wasn't until about three hours after the battle that I found you washed up on those rocks."

Talia hummed, piecing together the scenes in her head. Emmett hadn't found her when he looked into the water because she had sunk, due to the fact of not knowing how to swim, and then been helped by the sea guardian. But it hadn't felt like three hours had passed from when she had been pushed off the dock and found on the rocks. Perhaps time passed more slowly when in the presence of a sea guardian.

"Your turn," Emmett said, jostling Talia out of her thoughts. "Tell me everything that happened."

Perhaps it was the way that Emmett had said it, or maybe the keen glint in his void-like eyes, but something nagged in the back of Talia's head to think things through before she let her mouth do all the talking. The sea guardian had told her that she needed to be careful with whom she trusted and it was at that moment that Talia briefly wondered about Emmett.

"When you pushed me in... my... my dad spoke to me," Talia invented wildly. Her hands were shaking because really, Talia had never been a good liar, but she hoped Emmett would just see it as her being nervous for recalling the events before. "My father, Poseidon, told me that the harpies have a base in the French Quarter which is why I told you to get a hotel near it." She glanced at Emmett, seeking approval for the lie. After a moment of baited breaths, Emmett nodded.

"You were claimed," he said pointedly, and Talia froze, not expecting the question.

"Er, yes!" she exclaimed. "Yes. Poseidon claimed me and saved me from a watery grave."

Emmett laughed, a hollow sound that reverberated off the thin walls of their hotel room. "Well, good for you," he said. "Let's get some sleep. We'll need food and rest if we're going to storm the harpies tomorrow and get that clue of yours back."

Talia nodded mutely as Emmett brushed by her with his bag in hand and closed the door to the washroom. Having already washed up, Talia fell onto her bed, replaying the memory of the sea guardian inside her head.

/Keep Moving Forward\

Talia's dreams that night were filled with shrieking harpies and whirling compasses and missing aquamarine capsules that always seemed just out of reach. The sea bubbled and sighed around her, as if it knew she were lying about Poseidon being her father and the sea guardian's beautiful face filled her dreams with words from their conversations. It had Talia's mind whirling the next morning as she staggered out of bed and surveyed herself in the mirror.

The weather in New Orleans was a lot warmer than it had been in New York and Talia had stuffed her skating jacket into her backpack with her other clothes and opted for something more summery. She was still wearing a pair of black leggings but had paired it with a plaid shirt that had once been Jasmine's. A thin cord of gold woven for her by the Aphrodite cabin clinched around her tiny waste like a belt and a flowery headband adorned her head.

As soon as Emmett was ready the two checked out of the motel and found someone on the street selling crepes. It was a quick breakfast and although it filled Talia, she just hoped she would be able to keep it down in her stomach during their covert mission. The last thing she wanted to do was regurgitate her breakfast in the middle of something important.

"So, how are we going to find this place that the harpies are in?" Emmett asked as they prowled up and down one of the streets. "I mean, there's about fifty buildings in the neighbourhood. Your dad couldn't have given you a more precise location?"

Talia cringed slightly at the mention of Poseidon. If they could just keep him out of a conversation for two seconds, she would be fine.

"Don't worry," she assured Emmett. "I know what I'm doing." Talia was glancing at her compass, watching as the needle spun around and around in a blur of colour. She shielded it from Emmett's view, having the feeling that the sea guardian's words were also true for the compass. Some things were better left unsaid. The compass stopped, pointing somewhere to the right of them but forwards still. It meant they had to walk more, but not for much longer.

"It's just up here," she muttered, closing the face on the compass and tucking it under her shirt so the cool of metal chilled her skin.

"How do you-?" Emmett started, but clearly thought the better of it and simply followed Talia, who had led them to the front of a restaurant called _Brennan's. _ Emmett surveyed it up and down before turning to Talia. "Are you sure that they're in here, because this is a really well known restaurant."

"I'm sure," Talia replied. She could feel the needle of her compass quivering as it pointed directly in front of them at the face of the building. "My clue is in there, Emmett. We need to get it."

Emmett sighed, running a hand over his forehead. "Alright," he said. "But we'll do it right."

Talia followed Emmett around the back of the building, listening to him mutter under his breath. They entered a dark and shabby alley and Talia shivered involuntarily. It was creepy away from the bustling neighbourhood streets and it reminded Talia of the monsters that she had faced so far.

"Emmett," Talia said, racing to catch up with the older boy. She clutched to the back of his t-shirt, comforted by the thought of another living soul in the alley. "How are you going to get us into _Brennan's?_"

Emmett was still muttering to himself as he led the two of them up to the back door. "I'm going to alter the Mist," he grunted.

Talia nodded mutely, remembering what Bree Whitley had told her about the Mist. It was like a veil that hid monsters and magic from mortal eyes, who often didn't see clearly. Only a select few, such as their Oracle, could see through the Mist. Talia had no idea that Emmett could contort the Mist as he pleased, but it was a useful talent. Perhaps she'd get him to teach her after she retrieved her clue.

Breathing deeply, Emmett rapped sharply on the back door, waiting for an employee to open it. He hoped his hypnotic stare plus his power of manipulation would be able to get them into the building.

Soon enough, the door swung open and a man dressed all in black stuck his head out the door.

"What are you doing here?" he asked obnoxiously, staring disdainfully at the two children. "We don't give away free food, if that's what you want."

"We work here," Emmett said, slowly, precisely. "We're late for work."

The employee's face relaxed, his mouth slackening and his eyes glazing over. How could he have not seen it before? These two adults clearly worked here. They'd been working at _Brennan's _for years, longer than he had. How silly of him.

"Right, sorry. Sir, madam, better hurry before your shift starts."

"Thank-you," Talia chimed as Emmett led her into the building and towards a spiral staircase that led down into the restaurant's basement. They typically held extra chairs, tables and dishes down there and the employee stared after them as they descended. For one brief moment he could have sworn that he saw two children.

/Keep Moving Forward\

The basement of _Brennan's_ was not well lit and only the soft glow of the occasional wall lamp kept Talia and Emmett from stumbling over tables and chairs and stacks of boxes.

"Why did you lead me down here?" Talia asked, glancing warily around the room. The shadows could have anything lurking in them, such as snakes. The skater shuddered at the thought, reminding her of the two she had met two days ago wrapped around the mysterious man's cell phone.

"Harpies prefer seclusion, and if you're right and they've set up a base in this restaurant, this would be the best place for them to hide. I've no doubt that there's a second entrance straight to the surface that they've been using."

Talia nodded as Emmett drew his sword and she followed suit, her dagger coming out of its sheath. It glittered in the soft light as the two demigods crept forward. Before too long they began to hear voices.

"You are certain of the future?" a voice hissed from the depths of the basement. Talia and Emmett drew closer, seeing a brighter light shining beyond the corner. A nearby pile of boxes provided easy shelter and the two took cover behind them.

The scene in front of them was hardly surprising. Three harpies stood brooding over a table, the capsule containing Talia's clue a top it. It glittered in the light and sent patterns dancing across the wall, giving the illusion that the harpies were holding their meeting under the waves of the ocean.

"The Chosen One needs this clue to continue her quest. Only the hands of a demigod can open it. If she does not, she will fail and our work will be done."

"Excellent. Our Lord will be pleased."

The harpies cackled in unison and Emmett held up three fingers. On the count of three they would charge. Talia already knew that her main goal would be to grab the capsule and go. Emmett would be able to handle everything else.

"One." It was barely a whisper, but Talia heard it. "Two." A brief pause as Emmett weighed his sword in his hand. "Three."

Much to the harpies surprise, the boxes on the far side of the room exploded as two demigods came charging, each holding a weapon. The young girl looked not to be a problem, but the boy looked like trouble. They swarmed the intruders and Talia dove past two outstretched talons, racing towards the table with speeds only from years of off-ice work and camp training.

The capsule felt cool and weightless in her hands, but as if it was made to fit. Talia tucked it under the golden chord the Aphrodite cabin had woven and searched for a way out of the basement. Going back wasn't an option as having harpies flying through the kitchen of a busy New Orleans restaurant would cause too much chaos. Emmett had said there had to be a second exit and Talia was going to find it.

A harpy swerved to head her off as Talia took off running and that's when she noticed a narrow shaft of light in the corner. Apparently the harpies had scratched away a large hole that they could come in and out of easily. The skater shrieked and slashed wildly with her dagger, catching the harpy near the shoulder. The attack wasn't enough to kill it, but it would stall her long enough.

"Emmett," Talia called out. Her plan was similar to that of the one she had used with the crab and she needed Emmett's help if she was ever going to get out. However, she was aware of the fact that Emmett would be unable to follow her and she could only hope that he'd find his own way out.

"I'm kind of busy, Talia," Emmett replied, but he was slowly inching his way over to where she had backed herself into the corner.

"I want to say thank-you for all your help but this is probably where we part," Talia said quickly as she ducked a blow from one of the harpies and stabbed wildly. "I need you to launch me up this hole."

Emmett took a millisecond to glance at the opening before parrying away a harpy's talons. "You're right. If we can pull this off then this is good-bye," he said between ragged breaths. "Give me two seconds." He fought off one harpy, stabbing her sharply in the thigh before spinning wildly, sending a flurry of black sparks into the basement. They chased the harpies back and Emmett cupped his hands low to the ground. "One, two, three, jump!"

As Talia jumped Emmett lifted and she sailed straight up, catching the edge of the hole with her hands and heaving herself up. Below, she could see Emmett fighting off the harpies.

"Thanks, Emmett!" She called. "We'll meet again, I promise!"

"I'll hold you to that," she heard her companion call back before she promptly raced off down the street, trying to put as much distance between her and the harpies.

/Keep Moving Forward\

It wasn't until Talia was safely tucked away in the crook of a tall birch tree that she looked at the aquamarine capsule again. It had stayed safe the entire fight with the harpies and now she finally had a chance to look at it. She had heard the monsters say that only a demigod could open it, but she didn't know how for the capsule looked like it had been formed with no openings.

Unconsciously, Talia fingered the compass hanging around her neck, but she knew it would not help her. The needle was stationary, pointing directly at the clue in her hands and she knew it would hold no secrets on how to open it.

Talia racked her brains for answers, hoping that some form of knowledge she had received in her eight years on earth would help her, but the only thing that seemed to stand out to her were the parting words of the sea guardian: "_Things are not always as they seem."_

_ Could it be? _Talia thought curiously as she glanced at the capsule. She turned it over slowly in her hands before closing her eyes, feeling the weightlessness to it and imagining a piece of parchment, much like the one that was in the pocket of her backpack. She stayed like that for quite some time until the rustling of the leaves in the trees prompted her to open her eyes.

Lying in her slightly damp hands was a piece of parchment, identical to the one in her backpack. Talia turned it over once before unrolling it and reading the contents inside.

_Congratulations, demigod, for making it this far_

_But dangers ahead will make travelling hard._

_Cross country trips have been completed before_

_And I trust you'll find your way safely to the west._

_-Poseidon, God of the Sea._

Talia flipped the parchment over, watching as a map of the United States fanned out before her. The image of waves appeared along the west coast and after careful determination, Talia found that her next destination would be Anaheim, California.

As the sun set behind her, Talia smiled. She had never been to Disneyland before.


	5. Chapter V: Me, Myself and Time

**Sorry it's been so long since I updated (hah, a couple weeks). I've been busy working on other stories that have since slipped my mind, but I always come back here in the end. This chapter's shorter than the last but I have plans for some better action in the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song Me, Myself and Time for which this chapter was titled after.**

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**Me, Myself and Time**

Talia had never been on the receiving end of an Iris Message before. She had never been on the sending side either, so it was a bit of a shock to her as Jasmine's face appeared to her in a bubble as she sat in a tree.

"Jazzy?" the blonde asked incredulously. There was her sister, perhaps not crystal clear, but still there, standing on what looked like the porch of the Big House. Talia could see the volleyball courts behind her sister and the cabins way off in the distance.

"Talia!" Jasmine exclaimed, clearly relieved to see her sister. "Where are you? _How_ are you? Are you alright?"

Talia smiled. It was nice to hear from an over-bearing and protective sister, no matter how tiresome it could be. "I'm fine, Jasmine," she replied. "I'm in New Orleans right now."

"New Orleans?" Jasmine pursed her lips, an expression of thought crossing her face. "I see..." she said slowly. "And where are you off to next?"

"California!" Talia exclaimed. "I'm so excited, Jasmine! I mean, I've never been there before. It's all sun and sand and Hollywood with bright lights... do you think I'll see the Jonas Brothers or Demi Lovato?"

Jasmine rolled her eyes at her sister's poor choice in music. "Probably not," she said. "But how are you going to get there?"

Talia's face fell. She had spent most of the night tossing and turning in the tree, trying to figure out how she was going to travel across the country to get to the Sunshine State. She didn't have any money and she couldn't count on any more favours from people like Nikki. It seemed that while she had started to quest off with plenty of time she would be wasting a lot of it just trying to figure out how to get from place to place. "I don't know," she murmured. "I've been trying to figure that out."

The brunette opened her mouth to respond to her sister when the sound of hooves clopping on the wooden porch made her turn. She attempted to wave her hand through the spray of water she had formed with the garden hose but Chiron stopped her.

"I thought you'd contact your sister sooner than later," the centaur said, peering into the mist. "Hello, Talia."

The blonde gulped. She had barely thought of camp as she set out on her adventure and it had hardly crossed her mind that Jasmine's hair would have reverted back to the usual chestnut brown when hers had turned golden again on the plane from New York. "Er, hello," she replied shakily. She braced herself for the worst, for the shouting and the anger, but it never came.

And that made it all the more infinitely worse.

"I cannot say that I am proud of your decision, Talia," Chiron said. "Or Jasmine's really. But what's done is done. You are miles from Camp Half-Blood and there is no way for me to stop you now. Besides, you have found the first two clues and are now bound to the quest, but it only gets harder from here." He sighed, and Talia could see the sadness in his dark brown eyes.

"You need to find a way to California, Talia," he said. "But I cannot help you, nor can the gods. Only a demigod can help you now." The words rang in her ears and Talia nodded mutely. A thought tickled at the back of her mind but she brushed it aside for a moment, not allowing it to bloom fully.

"I guess I was lucky then," she replied, "running into Nikki and then Emmett." Jasmine cast her a wavering glance but Talia brushed it aside. "I'll find a way, don't worry. How's camp?"

Chiron sighed again, sounding weary of the small talk. "Camp is fine," he said. "Although, Marina and Caleb are in a bit of trouble for the assistance of your plan, but it's only extra dish duty for a month." Talia bit the inside of her cheek. She had forgotten about how she and Jasmine had involved others when they had made their switch.

A loud crashing sound in the background and the outraged cries of Mr. D drew Chiron's attention away from the conversation. "I better go attend to that," he said warily. "Jasmine, make sure you mop of this mess after; I don't want the porch rotting."

"Yes, Chiron," Jasmine replied dutifully as the centaur clopped away.

The thought that had been nagging at the back of Talia's mind suddenly pushed its way forward. _Only a demigod could help her..._

"Jasmine!" she exclaimed so suddenly that her sister almost dropped the garden hose. "I know how I'm going to get to California!"

"Really?" her sister replied, staring disdainfully at the water mark that had appeared on her blue, white and grey t-shirt. "Do tell."

Talia had the feeling that her sister had been spending a little extra time with the Aphrodite cabin now that she wasn't there but she dismissed the thought. "You can send me something that will help me. I don't know what it is yet, but you heard Chiron! A demigod can help me, and last time I checked you were the daughter of Zeus and Cambria Strachan, right?"

Jasmine smiled weakly. "I don't know, Talie," she said, using a nickname fondly used in their childhood. "What can I do to help? The only thing that's going to get you across the country is a car or a plane or something of the sort. And you can't even drive anyway."

Talia bit her lip, thinking things through. What kind of thing would help her the most? "You'll think of something," she decided. "I know you will. I trust you, Jasmine." She smiled reassuringly before waving a hand through the bubble that connected her to her sister.

/Me, Myself and Time\

Talia spent most of the morning and the early stages of the afternoon in town convincing people to give her some money. Although she wasn't a liar, she was infinitely better at scamming than she was lying outright to someone's face. It was simply a matter of pushing the thought to the back of her mind. It was only a dollar from each person, ten people in all and it was for a worthy cause.

After many fake tears and stories of how she needed money to call her mum and buy a bottled water, Talia had accumulated ten dollars which she then proceeded to spend on water, two bags of chips and a Crunch bar and then three carrots and a small bag of snap peas. She felt a little guilty buying a lot of junk and figured that the veggies would keep her healthy and from contracting any bug on her journey. The last thing she needed was to get sick on the most important quest known to demigods.

But there was still the prospect on how she was going to get to California. Waiting for Jasmine to send her something could take too long, but the young skater figured she would wait the day out in New Orleans before figuring out how she could spend her saved money on bus tickets to get her as far as she could before she'd have to either find a free way to get to Anaheim or scam more money out of people. The second thought made her stomach a little queasy, so Talia headed back towards her tree to think things over.

It was nearly sunset when she knew how she was going to get to the Sunshine State.

As she lay snuggled in the oak tree, Talia heard the clopping of hooves along the walkway of the park. Always a horse lover, she scrambled onto a branch that gave her a clear view of the path and gasped.

In front of her was a gorgeous golden-white palomino horse with a pair of outstretched wings. A Pegasus from camp no doubt, and suddenly, Talia knew. Jasmine had sent her a flying Pegasus to aid her on her quest. Pegasai were known for being speedy (faster than a car because they could travel where automobile's could not, but not nearly as fast as a plane) and were kept at Camp Half-Blood for training. It had been the only activity Talia had been remotely good at and was glad to have a sister like Jasmine who was always watching out for her.

The Pegasus was one she recognized too. As Talia slung her bag over her shoulder and scaled the tree back to the ground, she could see it was Fleur, a Pegasus she rode often. The mare snorted, throwing her head back and shaking out her long silvery mane before neighing at Talia. Excitedly, the young skater bounced over to her steed, looking her over with a satisfied smile.

"I can't believe Jasmine sent you!" she exclaimed happily, running a grimy hand over Fleur's shimmering coat. It left streaks of dust in its wake but Talia figured the winged horse wouldn't mind too much. She'd get a fine pampering when they returned back to Camp. "I have a great sister, you know that?" She was greeted with a snort and a nuzzle as Fleur got reacquainted with her rider.

Now that the thought of a ride was out of the way, Talia's head spun on a second concept. Would it be best to fly straight to California, or best to stop somewhere in between? She wracked her brains, sitting on the grass as Fleur folded herself to lie beside her. It was rare for a horse of any kind to lie on the ground and Talia gave the Pegasus a wavering glance, but knew that most Pegasai had their quirks. Fleur's was apparently lying on the ground.

_Maybe I'll sleep on it, _Talia thought. The sun was setting just beyond the horizon and she led Fleur back to her tree where she promptly climbed up and fell asleep.

/Me, Myself and Time\

Perhaps it was a good idea that Talia had slept on the idea because when she woke up the next morning she knew the best place to go to sort out her predicament. In the time before her mum had had enough money to buy a used laptop for the family they had gone to the public library to use the computers there to do school projects or to check emails. New Orleans was a big city so there had to be a library around town somewhere.

The next problem was hiding Fleur. Talia wasn't going to take a Pegasus around town with her, even if the Mist showed the mortals that she was simply a horse. There were cars around and besides, walking around the streets with a horse was just as weird as walking around town with a winged horse. No, Talia was going to need to figure out somewhere for Fleur to stay until she could come back to get her.

She finally settled on forcing Fleur up onto the roof of a restaurant across the street from the park. If the Pegasus stood far enough back from the edge then no one would see her. Talia could only hope that no one would go up on the roof while she was gone, but she was sure that no one would. What reason would anyone have to be up on the roof of a restaurant?

Finding a library was easy. After asking a passing lady Talia set off for a library that was in fact only six blocks from the park.

The high vaulted ceiling showed off the two stories of the building and as Talia walked in she inhaled the sharp smell of books and words and stories that were enclosed inside a book. Maybe one day she'd be featured in a book, her story documented for generations of demigods to come.

"Can I help you with anything?" a librarian asked as Talia continued to stand, baffled by the size of the building.

"Oh, yes please," the skater said, turning to face the librarian. "I'm looking for your public computers." She decided not to elaborate on the reason, fearing she'd mess up a lie.

"Certainly," the librarian said, drawing out the soft 'c' sound in the word so it was almost a hiss. She gestured for Talia to follow her as she led the blonde down rows of books and tables before nodding towards a bank of computers. "Please note that we allow only twenty minutes at a work station so that others may enjoy the use of a computer also," the librarian said. Talia noticed she had a slight lisp and slurred her 's's when she said them, but decided not to comment. She didn't need a librarian mad at her.

"Alright, thanks," Talia said. The librarian slunk off behind a row of books and the skater took a seat at the computer at the far end of the bank, logging on to the Internet and heading to the Google search engine. Once there she typed in 'airline flights from New Orleans to California' (with a few spelling mistakes) and hit 'go'. The results were instantaneous and she took a moment to scroll through the results before selecting a website for an airline called WestJet.

There were several flights leaving for Anaheim and Los Angelos that day from New Orleans' airport, but Talia was interested in one in particular that seemed to make a stop in Denver, Colorado to pick up more passengers before ending its journey in Anaheim. It seemed like a reasonable place to stop, somewhere right in the middle of the country, and Talia set her sights on it as her destination.

Quickly, she searched a map of the United States and printed it out, folding it neatly and sliding it into her pocket. The maps on the backs of the clues that she found were small and the bigger map would help her more as it had the inky lines of roads and rivers and lakes as well as major cities in every state. She closed her program and turned to leave, finding the librarian standing in her way.

"Did you find everything alright, dear?" she asked, her hands on her hips. Talia took in her appearance, the long sharp nose and the cold grey eyes. The librarian's hair appeared to be blonde but was streaked with lines of grey, showing age. She was dressed in a smart black suit and wore pumps to make her taller, though Talia could tell the lady was never tall to begin with.

"Yes, I did, thanks," she said, moving to slide past the librarian, but the older lady blocked her path.

"I don't think so, young demigod," she snarled, and before Talia's eyes she began to change.

The blonde streaked hair turned to flames and the librarian's skin turned a pale, chalk-white colour. The pumps fell to pieces as a hoof replaced one of the feet that had been contained while the other turned to bronze and appeared to continue up her pant leg. Talia stared in horror as the librarian became a creature she had heard only in the scary stories at Camp Half-Blood. They were the kind that made her bury her head in Jace Neidermeyer's shoulder when she sat with the rest of her cabin.

The empousa before her hissed and snarled, making Talia take a step back. "Foolish child," she hissed, and Talia noticed the lisp had carried over. "If you think completing this quest shall be easy then think again!"

With a shriek, the young demigod turned and ran back into the depths of the library, the empousa clanking along behind her. Her mismatched legs slowed her down, giving Talia the advantage as she raced through the aisles, tugging books off the shelves in attempt to block the paths she traveled.

"You cannot escape," the empousa cried triumphantly. "I shall catch you because you cannot destroy me. You're far too young and inexperienced."

Talia barely heard the words as her flats pounded the stairs to the second floor. The empousa was right. Talia had never taken any of the weapons training at camp besides archery and in capture the flag she was usually left alone, which was one reason the Hermes cabin won so often. Who was going to harm an eight-year-old going after the flag?

The sound of the empousa's bronze leg wafted to the ceiling as she lumbered up the concrete steps after Talia, who rounded the top and paused at the banister. The monster was almost halfway up and from this angle Talia could tell that it was a sitting duck. If she was a more skilled demigod she might be able to hit it.

_But maybe I can, _she thought. She dug through her backpack quickly, pulling the sheathed dagger Jasmine had given her and aimed carefully. _Athena, _she thought briefly. Even though the gods were technically not allowed to help, the skater hoped that the Goddess of War would be able to at least rid the world of one more monster.

With a cry, she thrust the dagger over the railing with as much force as she could. It pierced the empousa in the side, the creature shrieking in pain before crumbling to dust. The fans whirling in the ceiling made the sulphuric-like remains swirl around the room, but Talia didn't pause to admire the effect. She repacked her bag, scooped up her dagger on the way down the stairs and dashed out the front door.

/Me, Myself and Time\

"Fleur, come on down," Talia pleaded. Twenty minutes after the library fiasco, Talia stood outside the restaurant to which she had hidden Fleur. The Pegasus stood at the edge of roof, staring down at the skater disdainfully. It snorted in response, pawing at the roof.

"Come on," Talia said. Her temper was starting to rise a bit and she stomped her foot, regretting the action. How childish could she get? Jasmine never would have done something like that. "I know where we're going now! We're going to go to Colorado and then Disneyland. You'll love Disneyland; there's horses that are just like you there." She saw Fleur cock her head to the side, clearly imagining the idea when Talia got an idea of her own.

For the second time that day she carefully removed the extra clothes and money from her bag until all that was left was the pile of food she had bought the previous day. One of the carrots and a handful of the snap peas were gone as well as a bite out of the Crunch bar, but Talia figured she had restrained herself quite nicely. She pulled one of the carrots from the bag and waved it in the air.

"You can have this carrot if you come down," she said, carefully piling the rest of her things back into her bag. Just as she suspected, the Pegasus came soaring down from the roof and landed with a soft _clop _from her hooves hitting the pavement. Holding her palm flat, the carrot laying across it, Talia fed it to Fleur, pulling the backpack over her shoulders again before using a fire hydrant to mount her trusted steed.

"Now, Fleur," Talia said as the Pegasus spread her golden-white wings and took to the air. The blonde hugged the horse tightly, not wanting to fall off before continuing. "Off to Colorado. We're going to finish this quest to the end."


	6. Chapter VI: We'll Be a Dream

**Sorry it's been a while. I got caught up with school and then some other writing. But I got his done, so enjoy :)**

**Dislcaimer: I do not own the song We'll Be a Dream for which this chapter was named after.

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Dallas, Texas was not exactly where Talia had wanted to end up. She had been on the quest for four days now and veering off course on her way to California was not on the agenda. Still, now that she was in the Lone Star State, she might as well enjoy it.

Except, she wasn't.

Being a Canadian and then a resident New Yorker for her whole life, Talia was not used to the hot and humid weather that Dallas had in the summer. The thermostat outside one building read thirty-eight degrees Celsius, or one hundred degrees Fahrenheit, which was about ten degrees too hot for Talia and her pegasus. As the young demigod landed the flying horse in a remote corner of what she would learn to be Lake Cliff Park, she was sweating harder than ever.

"Why did you have to pick a place that was so hot?" she complained to Fleur, who simply snorted and threw her head back in retort. "We're supposed to be on our way to Colorado, not Mexico."

Fleur snorted again before lying down in the shade of a large oak tree. Talia sighed, her hands on her hips, before turning on her foot to look around her surroundings. After deeming the park pretty safe, she climbed the tree Fleur was currently lying under and relaxed into a suitable nook.

When she had started, this whole quest had been a dream come true for Talia. Three weeks to take on the biggest challenge to ever face a demigod, getting to see the United States of America and hopefully, by the end of it, finally knowing who her godly parent was. It was her chance, to prove that she and her sister were different. Jasmine, the tall and lanky ten-year-old daughter of Zeus, King of the Gods versus her younger sister, Talia, who though similar in build to her sister, completely different personality wise.

"We are really different," Talia mused aloud. She heard Fleur snort in response and the blonde rolled her eyes. She knew it was true, though. While Jasmine was more of those strong and silent types, Talia was bubbly and energetic and always looking to please. It wasn't that she was looking to get a head in the game of life, it was just that she was always looking for approval.

But lately, she'd gone without approval. She hadn't gained Chiron's approval before leaving camp, knew that she hadn't gained approval from her friends like Nikki and Emmett. With a bit of a jolt, Talia realized she was growing up, and it made her proud.

A hot breeze ruffled the leaves in the tree and Talia sighed. She needed something to cool her down before she melted into a pile of goo, but she couldn't be wasting her money on petty things like an ice cream cone. There was an admission fee to Disneyland and Talia would need all the money she had for that trip. After that, well, she hadn't thought that far in advance yet.

There was also the option of scamming, but Talia wasn't too fond of that one. And then there was stealing, but that made her too guilty. However, something in her gut told her that she could do it, if she really had to; that it would be easy. With a groan, she shut the thought out of her head and scaled the tree back to the ground.

/We'll Be a Dream\

The inside of the shopping mall was cooled by the intense blast of air conditioning every ten feet. Talia felt guilty about leaving Fleur out in the heat back at the park, but she had seen a river and she was sure that Fleur could fly around for a bit to cool down. Still, she had bought a few carrots at the grocery store before entering the mall.

Having moved to Camp Half-Blood at a young age, Talia had never really gotten into things like shopping. She had more pressing things to worry about, like landing her Lutz and moving on to her Axel. Still, it felt good to walk the busy hallways, passing stores with pretty dresses and baggy sweaters. It gave Talia an idea of what to buy Jasmine for Christmas and it was a good way to cool off.

As the skater was passing a small kiosk set up in the middle of the mall, someone grabbed her shoulder. With her ADHD kicking in, Talia's hand instantly went to the hilt of her dagger that she had concealed under the t-shirt she was wearing, but when she turned around she saw there couldn't be any danger.

The lady that had grabbed her looked like she was in her mid to late twenties. Her platinum blonde hair was cut into a short bob and curled into pretty waves. It made Talia a little self-conscious about her looks, which had never been a problem before, but the lady smiled encouragingly.

"Hi there," the lady said. "My name is Effie. I was wondering if you could just help me out for a minute."

Talia paused, but then shrugged. Effie looked friendly enough, but then again, so had that librarian back in New Orleans. Still, it didn't look like it could hurt to help out. Effie was manning a jewellery booth, which didn't look like it was imposing too much danger.

"Sure," she said finally. "What do I have to do?"

Effie smiled, a look of relief crossing her face. "Not much," she assured. "I just want you to take this necklace and wear it everywhere. If someone asks where you got it, tell them it's from Effie's in the Galleria Mall in Dallas."

Effie handed her a necklace and Talia examined it, turning it in the light. It was a long golden chain with equally golden charms dangling off it. There was a planet (Talia could tell from the rings that encircled it), an apple, a horse and what looked like a diamond. The diamond shaped glittered with rhinestones under the bright lights of Effie's kiosk and Talia slipped it on over her head. It seemed to go well with the outfit she was wearing and a small voice in the back of her head told her it would look good with anything.

"And I can just... take this?" Talia asked uncertainly. She admired herself in a hand mirror, watching Effie nod in the reflection.

"For sure," she said. "I need some business and even if you're not sticking around town it'll still be good to get some tourist action; everyone comes to the Galleria."

"Alright, thanks, Effie," Talia said. "I better get going though. I'm, uh, supposed to be meeting my mom somewhere."

"No problem," Effie replied. "But thank-you, Talia. I've been looking for someone special for that necklace to go to for a long time."

/We'll Be a Dream\

The bus ride back to Lake Cliff park was long and Talia was starting to feel really beat down by the time she returned to the tree where Fleur was. She felt hungry and tired and the sun was beginning to set. With a sigh, Talia took one of the carrots she had bought while she was out, fed it to Fleur and then climbed the tree again to get some sleep.

The stars twinkled somewhere above her head, but Talia couldn't see them with the foliage of the tree. Still, she had a feeling that even if the tree was bare, she still wouldn't see them. She was too far into the city, with bright lights too close to her little corner of paradise.

The necklace that Effie gave her still puzzled the skater, but she didn't dare take it off. What if someone robbed her? Talia had a feeling that it was quite valuable and treasured it like the small gem she had found in Erin's apple when she had been searching for her first clue. She yawned once, shifting in her nook and clutching the charms as she drifted off to sleep, still contemplating the necklace.

She must have thought about it so much that it came to her in her dreams too.

Talia had heard plenty about demigod dreams, but she had never had one herself. She had mostly figured it was because she was too young, but as the scene in front of her played out, she had no doubt that this was one of those infamous dreams.

She was standing on a beach, one in Halifax, she was sure. The surf pounded against the rocks at the far end and Talia could just make a figure standing atop the eroded rocks. Her lithe frame was doubled over against the harsh winds and her chestnut brown hair was being whipped around her face. It took Talia only a moment for her to see that it was Jasmine.

The cry of terror was ripped from Talia's throat as she tried to take a step towards her sister, but her feet seemed to be glued to the sand. She seemed non-affected by the buffeting winds that were tearing at Jasmine but continued to cry out to her sister, the blowing gales continuing to snatch her words away.

Lightning flashed above their heads as if Zeus were angry with the scene and a glint of gold flashed from around Jasmine's neck. It made Talia glance down at her own chest to see that Effie's necklace was gone. Glancing back up, Talia continued to watch Jasmine struggling on the rocks as lightning and thunder continued to flash and rumble against the stormy skies. She just knew that the necklace around her sister's neck was the one Effie had given her, but she had no idea what the relevance of it was.

The scene changed quickly and the rain and the wind disappeared. A man, dressed in a white toga was facing a teenager in full Greek battle armour. They conversed quickly and Talia watched the man as he removed his shoes, handing them to the warrior.

"These shoes will give you flight, Perseus," the man said. "Use it to aid you in the defeat of the Gorgon."

"Thank-you, Lord Hermes," the boy, Perseus, replied. "This gift is much appreciated." He pulled a sword from its hilt around his hips and donned a battle helmet. To Talia's surprise, as the helmet covered Persues' head, he disappeared.

A crooked grin appeared on Hermes' face and he bowed in the general direction the young hero had been standing before disappearing in a puff of smoke and the sound of coins knocking against each other.

The scene changed yet again.

All around Talia was mist. It was foggy and cold and she shivered in her sister's skating jacket. She could feel the water gathering on her hands and Talia shivered, glancing around for any sign of what she might be looking for.

Suddenly, a loud rumbling from behind her alerted Talia of another life form. She turned and was surprised to see a man groaning. He was standing under a huge dark funnel that seemed to swirl and with multiple shades of blue. Talia couldn't tell where the funnel ended, but she could tell that one end was being held up by the man.

He was talking to two people that Talia couldn't make out from where she was standing. Once again she appeared to be rooted to the spot and the figures were cloaked. One was taller than the other though, giving her the impression that they were of different ages.

"She cannot die along the way," the man holding the funnel grunted. "She must succeed till the end."

"I helped her," the smaller figure seemed to say. His voice seemed to be disguised as well as his appearance. "She will hopefully make it to the west coast before the week is out."

"Excellent," the man replied. He shifted slightly under the weight of whatever he was holding, as if daring either of his audience members to take the burden from his shoulders. "And what about you?" he asked the taller person.

"I have ensured she has received the first message," they said. Talia decided the person sounded feminine, and that her voice was not as disguised as the last speaker had been. "But that was my job from the gods anyway. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her out here."

The man grunted, and the two figures bowed low in a sign of respect before the whole scene disappeared again.

She was standing back at camp, or at least, that's where she thought she was. The room she was in was dusty and full of old Greek items. There was broken battle armour, trophies and other magical items that Talia was sure would have aided her greatly on her quest.

Facing opposite her were two figures, though the second one wanted to make the skater scream. There was a girl, with flaming red hair and bright green eyes, but beside her was a skeletal mummy, dressed crudely in a dress that looked about as old as its wearer. Talia whimpered as both the girl and the mummy opened their mouths, green smoke billowing from the cavities. It swirled around Talia's feet and engulfed her, turning her vision blurry.

A hollow and raspy sounding voice flooded Talia's ears as the green mist swirled around her. The young demigod tried to twist away but there was no use. Finally, she succumbed to her prison of smoke and sucked in her fear, listening to what the voice was saying.

_Youngest demigod to take up the quest_

_To travel the country from east to the west_

_The toughest of dangers awaits at the end_

_Be wary of allies and those you call friends_

/We'll Be a Dream\

Talia awoke with such a start that she fell out off her branch in the tree. She shrieked, causing a loud cluster of birds in the neighbouring tree to fly off, but she managed to grab a sturdy branch on the way down, gulping down sobs and hiccups.

She had never experienced a dream so vivid and wild. It had switched so many times that it left Talia's head whirling, but somehow, she able to recall all of it. The beach with Jasmine, Hermes and Perseus, the mountain with the man holding the funnel and finally the room with the girl and the mummy. Carefully, she dropped to the ground beside Fleur, who had been startled awake by Talia's screaming.

"Oh my gosh, Fleur," Talia said, burying her head in the soft hair of Fleur's mane. "I had the worst dream ever. It was so _real._ I saw Jasmine and all sorts of creepy people. Is that what I'm going to end up facing on this quest?" Even as she said this, the words of the mummy entered her mind again.

She was most likely the youngest demigod that was taking up the quest. She was only eight, after all, and had taken the greatest quest from her sister. She was traveling across America from New York to California. Did that mean that the end of her journey was in sight? However, no matter what the first two lines said, it was the last two that bothered Talia the most. A tougher danger than anything she had faced so far? She'd gone through a minor goddess, a giant crab, almost drowned and faced the Furies as well as a killer librarian.

And what about the last line? The one about allies and friends? Emmett and Nikki hardly seemed like they were threatening but Jasmine had taught Talia long ago that you couldn't trust everyone in the world, and since being deemed a demigod that lesson had become even more important. Both Nikki and Emmett had helped her succeed in her quest; what if they were both against her?

Talia shook the thought out of her head. She was being turned against her friends for a reason, and she had a feeling it had to do with the dream with the man and the two cloaked figures. Someone wanted her to complete this quest and would stop at nothing to make sure she saw it through. Still, she was known around camp for being a little naive, and therefore, very trusting. Just because she was out in the big bad world now didn't mean she was going to go against who she was.

"Come on, Fleur," Talia said, fiddling with the charms on her necklace. "Let's get out of Dallas and head on to Denver. I've had enough of this heat and the weird dreams and stuff."

Fleur snorted in response and Talia rolled her eyes, fishing through her backpack for some food for the two of them.

"I guess you're right," the skater said, handing the pegasus a carrot. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But after that, no more procrastinating. I've only got two weeks and two days to finish this quest and we can't be taking breaks every chance we get."

Fleur whinnied and Talia laughed, finishing off a granola bar from her bag. She was so hungry, but had no extra money to spare. If she were a daughter of Aphrodite she might have had the ability to charmspeak people and not feel too guilty about things. But she wasn't a daughter of Aphrodite and she knew it.

But she knew she would find out who her dad was by the end of this quest. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and waited for Fleur to stand. Talia smiled to herself as her pegasus unfurled her wings and allowed the skater to climb aboard. There was no telling whether or not there were answers waiting for Talia in California, but she that she at least had a clue waiting for her which would lead her to the overall answer. Whatever her dream meant and the weird prophetic words of the mummy would have to be pushed aside. They couldn't mess her up on this quest where everyone was counting on her to do well.

Fleur pushed off from the ground, sending Talia's hair whirling around her and Effie's necklace swinging around her neck and all the young demigod's worries behind them in Dallas.


	7. Chapter VII: Ice Princess

**So I guess I have some explaining to do over my absence. As some of you may know, November was National Novel Writing Month and I took up the challenge of writing a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. I did succeed but as soon as November was over, I was pressured to finish a few Secret Santa stories (which I need to post now that I think about it). Anyway, after that, I finished up a chapter for a Digimon chapter story I'm writing and then turned to this story, completely forgetting where I was and having lost all my notes that had been on my iPod. However, I'm back on track and hope to do a lot more updates from now on. Thanks for those of you who have stuck with me over my hiatus. I'm back now :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the movie _Ice Princess, _for which this chapter was titled after.

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After the extreme heat in Dallas, the milder temperatures of Denver were a welcome change to Talia and Fleur as they took up residence once again in a rural park. It had been a long three day's ride but they had finally landed and all Talia wanted to do was rest her aching legs and find something to eat. They were starting to run low on food again and Talia was still out of money. How did other demigods manage to be out on their own so long? It wasn't exactly like Talia was spending the money on laptops and electronics. Then again, she hadn't started out with too much money anyway.

Despite the weather being favourable, there was no one in the park. This struck Talia as odd and after making sure Fleur was well hidden behind an exceptionally large rose bush, she made her way through the grass and trees to find civilization. It wasn't long till she came to the edge of the park and saw the reason why there was no one to be found in the park. In front of her, across a monstrous parking lot, was the biggest recreational centre Talia had seen since leaving New York. She couldn't make out the name on it but there was a sign near the road that Talia could see more clearly.

"Ice rink, soccer fields, fitness centre, physiotherapy, library, restaurant and training facility," the skater read aloud, clearly awed. She knew that there were, of course, much more fascinating rinks out there (Madison Square Gardens coming to mind) but this had definitely been the biggest building she'd come across on her travels. Talia was about to turn away and make her way back through the trees when a thought struck her. When she had skated back in Halifax and even in New York, the rinks always had a concession that sold food at a reasonably inexpensive price. If Talia could scam a few dollars out of people she could surely buy a some lunch for her and Fleur and maybe even some provisions to take with them as they headed off to California.

The parking lot was rather empty so far back, but as Talia drew closer to the main doors, she started coming across more cars. It was hard to tell which each of them were there for, whether it be soccer or hockey, but Talia didn't pay them too much attention until one caught her eye.

It was hard to say what had been so intriguing about it, as it was your average suburban SUV, but as Talia stopped, she realized that the car was actually still running. There was no one else in the parking lot so she slipped between it and the car next to it and peered in the window. There were keys in the ignition still, but the thing that caught Talia's eye the most was the purse lying on the passenger seat.

Talia was not really one to steal from others, but she couldn't help but feel a tingle in her hands that seemed to just draw them towards the handle on the car door. She wasn't really surprised to find it unlocked, and a rush of warm air greeted her in the cool air of an overcast day in Denver.

The purse was right in front of her and Talia could even see the lady's wallet poking out of the handbag. Looking around anxiously, the skater plucked the money holder from its place and opened it. To her astonishment, she found a large wad of twenty dollar bills inside, around ten to be exact.

Guilt seemed to grip Talia's heart as she pulled out the money. There was no way she could steal all of this, but it seemed so tempting. With a sigh, she took two bills from the pile and stuffed them into a pocket in her jacket before looking through the purse to see what else was there. She found a small notepad and a pen, and without a second thought she tore off a piece of paper and scribbled, "IOU $40," on it and dropped it into the lady's wallet with the remainder of the bills. Then, she tucked it back inside the purse, turned off the car, locked it and let the door fall shut behind her as she continued on towards the fitness complex.

/Ice Princess\

All the way into the building, Talia reminded herself that demigods often had to steal things in order to survive. Still, she couldn't help but feel quite guilty and she promptly rushed off towards the bathroom to cry in a stall for a good ten minutes.

When she was done wiping away her tears and blowing her nose, Talia decided to venture out into the rest of the complex to take a look around. Just as the sign had promised, there were two ice rinks as well as two indoor soccer fields and the library on the main floor. Upstairs was the restaurant, physiotherapy and training facilities.

There was also a snack bar, just as Talia had suspected. With a wide grin on her face, she moved towards it, only to have her path blocked a short, yet very thin man in a business suit.

"Excuse me, miss, but do you have a minute?" he asked, brandishing a box in Talia's face. After the encounter with the demonic librarian back in New Orleans, Talia was starting to grow warier of strangers who talked to her, but she nodded. There was still a tinge of guilt in her and she felt that the least she could do was help this person.

"Great," the man said with a grin, motioning for the blonde to follow him to some of the tables set up around the facility. "I'm working for a shoe company, _Gold Wing Shoes,_to be exact, and I was wondering if you would care to demo one of our latest projects. You look like you'd have just the right size feet for the little baby's I have stored in here." He thumped the box appreciatively and glanced anxiously at Talia.

"Um, sure," Talia replied rather uncertainly. When the man lifted the lid off the box, she glanced inside, catching a glimpse of a pair of snow-white Vans white a golden star on the outside edge, close to the heel. She helped the man get the shoes on her feet before they began to lace them up. True to his prediction, the shoes fit Talia perfectly with even a little room to grow.

"Perfect," the man said with a smile, pulling an iPhone from the inside pocket of his suit jacket and jotting down a note.

Talia stood, uncertainly at first, but then with a bit more confidence. She was afraid the shoes would do something weird, that they were enchanted or cursed, but they seemed to be alright. With a smile, the demigod turned back to the man to voice her opinions, only to find him and the box gone. In his place, was a small note.

"_Press the golden stars on the sides of your shoes when you get into a chilly predicament,"_Talia read out loud. Glancing around, she pocketed the note before taking a seat on the chair again and pressing the golden stars on her shoes. It took Talia a moment to realize that she was no longer wearing the Vans, but a pair of figure skates.

The skater was stunned. Had that man been a god in disguise? Surely not, as the Gods of Olympus were forbidden to help the champion on their quest, but still... no mortal company could have invented these shoes. Something magical was taking place, but Talia had no idea what. With a smile, she turned to gaze longingly at the ice rinks, noticing that there was a public skate on at the moment. There were only a group of three people on the ice at the moment and Talia grinned. This would be the perfect time to test out her new shoes.

As Talia drew nearer, she saw a small booth set up near the entrance to the rink facility. To her dismay, the demigod saw that they charged a two dollar admission price. Unconsciously, she dipped her hand into the pocket where she had stored the note from the shoe man and found a five dollar bill in its place.

_This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder,_Talia thought bemusedly to herself as she handed the bill to the lady at the booth. With a smile, the woman handed Talia back a couple of one dollar bills, stamped her hand and waved her through.

The cool air of the rink was like a breath of fresh air to Talia. It had been a while since she'd been on skates and as she stepped onto the ice, she felt it all coming back to her. The stroking, the cross-overs, the transitions, everything. As she skated a quick lap around, she felt the gaze of the only other people in the rink and she slowed herself enough to catch a glimpse of them.

The first person she saw was a girl that was pretty enough to be a Daughter of Aphrodite. However, Talia could just sense that this girl had no magical powers to her at all. Her long brown hair was tied in a pony tail at the back of her head and she was tall for what Talia guessed was fourteen years of age. She was wearing a pair of figure skates though, and Talia briefly wondered if she was also a skater.

The next person Talia saw was a young boy around her own age in a pair of hockey skates. His hair was short enough to be hidden beneath a rather colourful toque and he was watching the third figure, who Talia guessed was the girl's boyfriend, intensely. The demigod noted that he had the same light coloured eyes as the girl and determined them to be siblings.

The final figure that Talia laid eyes on was tall, like the girl, with sparkling blonde hair that was spiked to perfection. He glided easily on his hockey skates, moving loops around his friends, and Talia couldn't help but stare.

"Hey, blondie!" the boy called, snapping said blonde from her thoughts. Talia glanced warily at the boy, who had come to a stop beside his friends. "Think you're a good skater, do you?"

Talia desperately wanted to retaliate with a snappy comeback like Jasmine would, but to be honest, she didn't have much to say. "Yeah, I guess so," she answered truthfully, pulling a hair elastic from her wrist and tying back her long strawberry-blonde hair.

The boy laughed and nodded towards his girlfriend. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and launched herself into what Talia recognized to be a back spin. It was slow moving, much slower than the ones that Jasmine usually did and Talia could even say that her own were faster. With a slight flourish, the girl pulled out of the spin, shooting a sort of sickly sweet smile in Talia's direction.

Was this a competition of sorts? Talia wondered briefly as the three figures glanced at her. She wasn't really sure what she was supposed to do, if she was supposed to spin or jump, so she decided to take the easier route and just go with some flowing transitions. She turned sharply and skated away, gathering speed before slipping into various three-turns and mohawks before sliding into an Ina Bauer. When she pulled out, she couldn't help but notice the rather astonished looks on her competitor's face. Apparently, she was doing better than they had expected.

Talia watched closely as the girl pulled herself into a sit spin. It was low enough to be counted in the higher levels, but Talia knew she could do better. As the girl exited her spin, Talia threw herself into her own, crouching low and holding onto her outstretched leg as she ducked her head, counting revolutions silently to herself. Once she was satisfied, she rose from her position, her leg wobbling uncertainly, before exiting cleanly.

The girl was already going into her next element when Talia caught sight of her and with a feeling of dread in her stomach, she realized she was setting up for a Lutz, one of the jumps Talia had not yet mastered. The young blonde watched as her competitor reached backwards with her right foot, pivoting slightly before launching herself into the air to complete the one revolution before landing firmly back on the ice.

Talia knew that the only way she could end this battle would be to either land a Lutz or an Axel, and considering how Talia couldn't land either, she knew she was in trouble. Still, she had to try the Lutz. They didn't need to know that she hadn't landed one yet.

She moved past the older girl fluidly, her backwards crossovers sending her floating down towards one corner of the rink. It was here that she slowed herself considerably, setting up the same way her competitor had previously done. She positioned her right leg behind her left, the toe pick aimed at the ice and set her hands so that one stayed in front of her body and one towards her right side. Then, with a deep breath, she dug her toe pick into the ice, launching herself off the ice and rotating once in the air...

...and fell.

Talia hit the ice on her right foot before dropping unceremoniously to the ground, her weight having been thrown too far back onto her heel. She could hear the laughs and jeers of the others on the ice and she scowled as she pulled herself to her feet. It was embarrassing, really, because Talia knew she was much better than the brunette.

"I knew you didn't have it in you, young demigod," the older boy snarled, much to Talia's horror. She watched as the boy began to grow, his form soaring up by at least three feet before he started to fill out as well. His arms bulged with muscles as well as his legs and his shoulders broadened. From behind him, the girl and her brother shrieked, dashing towards the exit. Talia was tempted to as well, but she knew that the only way to truly escape the giant was to beat him.

After the battles Talia had been through, she would have expected herself to be a bit more prepared for this one, but she wasn't. This was an eight-foot-tall Laistrygonian giant, not an empousa or giant crab. No. This monster was big enough to crush Talia's tiny four-foot-five frame with his fist if he wished to. Still, she had to be strong and she had to be brave and she prayed to Zeus for but a moment that she would have enough courage to take on this monster.

"Are you scared?" the giant taunted, flexing his muscles. Talia noticed a tattoo ripple across his biceps and she could just make out the name 'Clinton' before a slight plan began to form in her mind. Despite having more power, Clinton was much larger than Talia. She had the element of size and speed on her side.

"Should I be?" she taunted back, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.

"Yes. You should be afraid, very afraid," Clinton roared before pushing off the ice towards her. His legs, now much longer than they had been previously, allowed him to close the distance between him and Talia in but a stride and the young demigod shrieked, pulling her dagger from her pocket and thrusting it at Clinton. It stuck in his pectoral muscles and Talia prepared for him to burst into dust, but nothing happened except for the rumbling roar of pain that ripped through the building. Apparently the dagger was not enough to kill Clinton. With another shout of rage, the giant ripped the dagger from his chest and tossed it towards the opposite end of the rink where it clattered against the glass.

Talia figured she was in a lot of trouble now. With another shriek, she took off, feeling Clinton ripping down the ice after her. She switched to backwards skating, allowing her to keep an eye on the quickly approaching giant. With a glance over her shoulder, she saw that she was fast approaching the boards. Turning again, she saw that Clinton's outstretched hand was but a foot away from her. The young demigod knew that there was only one hope for her to escape either getting crushed or eaten so she began setting up. She picked up her right leg from the ice and set up her arms exactly the way they had been not five minutes before. With a deep breath, she dug her toe pick into the ice, this time taking a bit more time to pivot on it before jumping into the air, twisting out of Clinton's grasp and landing neatly to his left.

Talia was so surprised that she cheered over her landed jump, but one snarl from Clinton's mouth reminded her that she had to defeat him still. She zipped around him towards centre ice, turning backwards again and setting herself up for a camel spin, watching Clinton approaching and trying to time her spin perfectly. When he was five feet away, she swung herself up into position, her body flat and her leg steady as she felt the satisfying crunch of her blade knocking into Clinton's stomach.

The giant roared in pain again but before he could back away, Talia's foot came around again. Her spin was slowing after only two revolutions, but she didn't care. Any hit she landed on this beast would benefit to her survival. With one more swipe of her blade, she heard a light explosion before she was bathed in sand and dust, blinding the skater and causing her to tumble to the ice. She coughed away the remains of the giant, wiping the disgusting taste from her mouth, before getting to her feet. Clinton was no more.

With a sigh of relief, Talia skated over to where her dagger lay and picked it up, sliding it back into her pocket before heading for the open gate. She jumped through the open doorway, smacking the stars on the sides of her skates and feeling them morph back into Vans. She hit the ground running and didn't stop until she was back in the park with Fleur.

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**I rarely write footnotes, but I just wanted to mention a couple of things.**

**I did pull (and edit) a quote from _The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader. _If you can find it, great. Just know that I do not own it.**

**If want to see any of the skating elements used in this chapter, YouTube is a great place to check 'em out in action. Just copy and paste the names of the jumps and spins and transitions (back spin, sit spin, camel spin, Lutz, Axel and Ina Bauer) into the search bar and watch away!**

**Also, there is a word in here that may be unfamiliar to any non-Canadians out there. That word would be 'toque'. I can't quite recall where I put it in, but a toque is a beanie. We just call it something different in Canada and considering Talia is a Canadian, that's what she says.**

**Hope you guys have a Happy New Year! **


	8. VIII: A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

**The title of this chapter in the drop down menu is different than the others because originally, Chapter VIII: A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes wouldn't fit into the bar, so I deleted the Chapter part. Just in case you were wondering ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes, for which this chapter was titled after.**

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The battle with the giant had left Talia feeling exhausted and drained. She was in no mood to go travelling to California, but she feared that if she didn't get a move on, she'd be ambushed by more monsters and get too far behind schedule. True, the skater was only one week into the quest, but she had a feeling that the location of the gods would be hard to find and she'd need all the time she could get. With that in mind, when Talia returned to Fleur in the park, she mounted immediately and the two of them set off.

They landed in Salt Lake City with the sun setting before them and the chilly air whipping Talia's hair around. Finding wooded areas was starting to get harder than usual and the demigod and her steed finally found refuge under a vacant bridge, that was apparently used by homeless people, judging by the large oil drum across the water way. Talia settled down, throwing on a few more articles of clothing to keep warm and snuggled up against Fleur's side.

The last dream that the young demigod had had was back in Texas, two days ago, and as she drifted off into sleep she found herself drowning in the familiar dream land.

As the scene took shape, Talia recognized what appeared to be a forge. In the middle of the room stood a man, short and bulky with shoulders at different heights. His head was oddly shaped too, Talia mused. The fire light glinted softly off of a metal leg brace and sparks flying from his large black beard. He was definitely not a person that Talia wanted to meet, but she found herself intrigued with the man, wondering who he was and how he had suffered such extensive injuries.

He was leaning over what appeared to be a large bowl of water, muttering to himself as he stared into its depths. Being eight years old, Talia's curiosity got the better of her and she stepped forward, peering into the water as well. She watched as the liquid danced and swam in the light of the fires and was able to make out the shapes of two figures. The first was a lady, the most beautiful person Talia had ever seen. Her shoulder length brown hair seemed to shine and her smile was perfect, all of her teeth straight and white and when Talia glanced at her chocolate brown eyes she was instantly reminded of Jazzy. Unconsciously, the skater tugged on her own strawberry blonde hair, biting her lip and ripping her gaze away from the lady to her companion.

The man was tall, taller than most people Talia knew, with short black hair styled into a military crew cut. His eyes were like small, smoldering fires but the skater had a feeling that when he was mad, they would flare to life. Scars lined his cheeks and his grin was somewhat sinister, though affectionate at the same time.

"I knew it, I knew it," Talia's companion moaned. "Curse my mother and her quest for a better family. I shall never be loved by Aphrodite now." He looked longingly into the bowl before angrily shoving it off the table, making Talia jump backwards. He paced back and forth for a moment, occasionally kicking tools out of his way and Talia shrunk back into the shadows, wishing the dream would change, but it did not.

"If that no-good wife of mine bears children to Ares, no good will come of their children and their children's children and so forth if I have anything to do with it," the man cried suddenly. His eyes flared briefly and to Talia, it looked as if they had turned into little balls of fire, much like the lady's companion's eyes. However, the moment was over quickly and she figured it was simply a trick of the light of the fire reflecting in his eyes. She didn't have much time to ponder it though, as the scene changed.

Talia found herself in a brightly lit room, the beautiful lady (Aphrodite, the skater realized, remembering what the man in the forge had said) holding a small bundle in her arms.

"Oh, Ares, isn't she beautiful?" Aprhodite asked, swooning over what Talia realized was a baby.

"Just like her mother," the war god replied, smiling from his spot on the couch where he was lazily drinking down a bottle of nectar. "You got a name for her yet?"

"Harmonia," Aphrodite said with a sigh. "I'll name her Harmonia."

The door at the far side of the room opened with a bang and a young man with a beautiful looking face barged in. His bright blue eyes flickered with fear and his wild brown curls danced as he dashed across the room. "Pardon me, Lady Aphrohdite and Lord Ares," he said breathlessly, "but I have word that the Lord Hephaestus is looking for thee Lady Aphrodite. She must flee immediately or thy love affair shall be known."

Panic flashed briefly through the Goddess of Love's eyes but she calmly handed the baby Harmonia to her lover and smiled at the man who had walked in. "Thank-you, Eros," she said before turning to Ares. "Keep her safe," she ordered. "And make sure that Hephaestus does not find out about her, for I fear for her safety." Then, with a flourish of her silk dress, she swept from the room and the scene changed again.

Now the dream was a wedding, something Talia could see instantly. White was draped everywhere and people laughed and sang away their worries with goblets of wine as they conversed with other guests. Talia spotted the bride and groom near the alter, speaking with one another and somehow, Talia knew it was Harmonia, all grown up. She was beautiful, not unlike her mother, with long black hair plaited neatly at the back of her head and sparkling blue eyes that seemed to flicker with sparks. Her husband was handsome, his smile warm and his eyes friendly. He kissed his wife on the cheek before disappearing into the crowd, leaving Harmonia alone.

Something caught Talia's eye and she turned her head, spotting the man from the forge making his way towards Aphrodite's daughter. Sensing that this was something important, Talia pushed her way through the crowd to catch their conversation just as the man made his way to Harmonia.

"Dearest Harmonia," the man said, his voice gruff. "I am Hephaestus, god of the forges and fire."

"My Lord," Harmonia said, curtsying with a flourish that sent her dress flying around her.

"It is with great pleasure that I bring you a gift to congratulate your marriage to Cadmus," Hephaestus said, pulling a box from the pocket of his robes. He handed it to Harmonia, who opened it, her eyes widening in awe as she pulled a dazzling necklace from the box. It was large and extravagant, its black gems glittering in the afternoon sunlight. Mixed with the gold, it was stunning, fit for someone as beautiful as Harmonia. Talia couldn't help but notice the clasp though, how it appeared to be two snakes joined together.

"Lord Hephaestus," the newlywed said with a gasp as she clipped the necklace around her neck, admiring it. "It is beautiful! Thank-you. A thousand thanks to you."

"It was no trouble at all," Hephaestus replied, a smile creeping onto his face.

Talia desperately wanted to say something, to warn Harmonia about something that she herself did not know, but she fell into the blackness of a dreamless sleep, waking up some hours later back in Salt Lake City.

/A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes\

The dream made no sense to Talia and she thought about it constantly as they flew across the deserts of Nevada towards California. What had it meant? Had all of that actually happened? It must have been a long time ago, Talia figured finally, for she knew that Aphrodite and Ares rarely had godly children anymore, preferring to sire children from mortals instead. Therefore, the scenes must have happened when the Greek empire still ruled. The thought made Talia's head spin slightly and she gripped Fleur's mane tighter in her hand as they soared through the clouds.

It didn't take them long to reach Anaheim with Fleur's speed and they soared over the Disneyland park, searching for a safe place to land. It was much harder than finding a park because Talia knew she didn't have enough cash to get herself in with a ticket. They'd need to find a decent hiding place where Fleur wouldn't be questioned and Talia could go back to when the park closed. After all, she had no intent on leaving until she found the final clue.

They finally settled on the Jungle Cruise ride. That way, if anyone spotted Fleur they would hopefully assume she was part of the ride, though Talia didn't know anyone who would be stupid enough to think that horses (much less winged horses) could be found in the jungle. However, she found a spot where, if she arranged the foliage just right, the shadows from the sun cast a zebra print onto the pegasus. With any luck, people would just think she was a zebra.

"Now, listen," the young demigod said, ducking behind a bush as one of the boats drifted by. "You have to act like you're a robot, okay? I know, it sounds awful, but hopefully I can find this clue quickly. No, I won't go on any of the rides unless I have to ... yes, I may have to, so I'll try and be back here quick. And don't try to eat anything; these plants aren't real." Fleur snorted and rolled her eyes and Talia laughed before sneaking off through the foliage until she made it to the edge of the ride. No one paid her any attention as she slipped from the trees and mingled with the crowd.

Talia had never been to Disneyland before and it wasn't long before she forgot about looking for the clue and just began to enjoy everything. She stayed true to her word though, and didn't get on any rides, but Talia had never been so excited in her life. Just the atmosphere made her giddy, with so many other people excited and happy just like her. It was like she didn't have a care in the world, like there was nothing to worry about. It suddenly struck the skater that Disneyland reminded her greatly of Camp Half-Blood.

Talia wandered through Adventureland, her eyes travelling and wandering as she spotted the familiar figures of the Disney films. She wanted so badly to go and meet them, but knew that there was no time to lose; the faster she found the clue, the faster she could go back to Camp Half-Blood.

However, at four o'clock, after three hours of wandering around the park, Talia was turning up nothing. Originally, the prospect of coming to Disneyland had been exciting and a dream come true, but now that she was there, Talia really had no idea where to begin looking. The clue could be anywhere, be hidden in anything, _look_like anything. The skater sighed in frustration, glancing around her. She had wound up on Main Street and just beyond the gates to the park she could see the other half, California Adventure park, which she hadn't explored yet. She'd need Fleur to get in though because she didn't have a pass, but she was too tired to try that day. She'd wait till the next.

Up ahead, Talia spotted a small cafe where she bought an apple for Fleur and then a hot dog for herself. It had been such a long time since she had eaten a hot meal that she sighed with delight as she practically inhaled the wiener, earning herself a few strange looks from the families around her. It struck Talia that she stuck out a little in the park, that even though there were plenty of children there, all of them had come with their parents. Talia, on the other hand, was a little girl wandering around by herself and would have to be careful if she wanted to stay relatively incognito.

She hurried away from the shop and made her way back through the park to the Jungle Cruise where she slipped into the trees again. When she reached Fleur, she was unhappy to see that the stripes were no longer there, but it seemed that the pegasus was far enough back from the ride itself that she wasn't spotted by too many people. Talia ducked in beside the winged horse, hiding behind the same large bush that she had occupied earlier and whispered, "I think this is going to turn into a night mission. Wake me up before the fireworks please, I don't want to miss them." And with that, she slipped into sleep, hoping that with the park empty at night, she'd be able to take a closer look at many of the rides.

/A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes\

It was her second dream in two nights.

It was filled with serpents and screams and all manner of horrible things, but no matter how hard she tried, Talia could not wake up from it. She thought she briefly saw Harmonia and Cadmus but they were replaced by two snakes. There was a moment when she saw Camp Half-Blood, the sun shining on the lake and the strawberry fields glittering in the distance. Jasmine was standing on the porch of the Big House looking out over the camp but it was suddenly replaced with destruction. The cabins were no longer tall and proud, but burning and turned to rubble. Campers were screaming everywhere she looked.

"What have you done?" Chiron asked her, galloping past with an injured camper in his arms. "How could you have failed?"

"Is this what will happen?" Talia asked, the emotions rising in her throat and making her words sound weak. "If I fail this quest, is this what will happen? Is this what the prophecy meant?" But Chiron did not answer, simply carrying on.

Talia awoke with a start to the sound of fireworks exploding over her head.

She sat up with a gasp, the darkness disorienting her for a moment before she remembered where she was. She was in Disneyland, with Fleur who was looking rather embarrassed, as the fireworks went off over their heads.

"I thought I asked you to wake me up before they started," Talia whispered harshly to her companion. Fleur merely snorted and pawed at the ground anxiously and Talia instantly regretted her tone. She was supposed to be in the happiest place on earth. "Sorry," she muttered. "We'll wait till midnight and then I promise you can come with me when I go looking for the clue. It'll be best if we can make a quick getaway if I find it." The pegasus nodded before turning her attention to the sky and Talia followed her gaze, watching as it was lit up by the beautiful colours and patterns.

An hour later, when Talia was sure that there were no more technicians in the park, she crept out from the Jungle Cruise with Fleur following behind her. She really had no idea where to start, but she had at least six hours before she would have to call it quits again and resort to just mingling about again, which she didn't want to do. The skater nodded towards Main Street and began to make her way through the park.

It really was just as interesting at night as it was during the day, Talia thought as she moved through the empty park. The rides seemed to tower above her, silently watching her. The sounds of cars was faint and the only other sound were the charms on her necklace banging against each other and her compass.

Her compass! Of course! Talia stopped so suddenly that Fleur walked into her, sending the skater tumbling to the ground. However, Talia wasn't even bothered by it. She pulled her compass out from beneath her shirt and flipped it open, watching the needle spin furiously before pointing just slightly to the left of where she had been going anyway. Talia glanced up, looking for anything that might give her an indicator of where she needed to be when she saw it.

The Matterhorn Bobsleds had been a popular ride, the line always long every time Talia walked past it that day. Now, the mountain towered above everything else, blotting out the moon that shone behind it. The needle of her compass was pointing directly at it and Talia smiled ruefully to herself. It looked like she was about to go mountain climbing.

/A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes\

The tunnel leading into the ride was nothing short of intimidating. It was dark, pitch black, and Talia only had a small flashlight that she had nicked from one of the stores along Main Street. The flashlight gave off a weak beam and Talia gulped before smiling nervously at Fleur and then plunging into the mountain.

She followed the tracks for a while, weaving her way up through the mountain and often having to put the light between her teeth and get on her hands and knees to haul herself up the steep parts. Talia supposed that the ride might have been better if she had been sitting in the actual bobsled but the track made sharp and wild turns that the skater knew could result in whiplash. She didn't stop climbing until she turned a corner and suppressed a scream, coming face to face with the Abominable Snowman. It was posed with its arms waving wildly over its head, its eyes dull and lifeless and Talia put a hand to her wildly beating heart, willing it to calm down. It was only an automaton, not real, but it was then that something else caught her eye.

There was a safety light illuminating the back of the small chamber where the Yeti was and as Talia stepped closer, she saw that it was shining on a small alcove where a door was. The demigod paused, her hand wavering in front of her before she tried the knob. Not surprisingly, it was locked, and Talia pouted for a moment, wondering how she could get it open. There was an ordinary keyhole in the knob and as Talia twisted her hair, she was reminded of the techniques the Hermes cabin had taught her when they had taken her on one of their many camp raids. It was possible to unlock a door with a bobby pin and Talia smiled, reaching into her hair and un-clipping her bangs from where she had pinned them away from her eyes. She twisted the pin open and inserted the flat end into the lock, jimmying with both the pin and the knob until a faint _click_ was heard and the door swung open.

The hallway beyond the door was lit with more safety lights and Talia withdrew her compass from her shirt again. Just as she had suspected, the needle pointed into the new tunnel and with a deep breath, Talia plunged deeper into the mountain.

She was lucky for the safety lights because the corridor she walked down now had obviously not been used in a very long time. The floorboards were rotting and there were a few times when the skater narrowly missed falling through to Zeus knows where. It wasn't long until she came across a set of stairs which creaked under her weight, sending a shiver up Talia's spine. The only sound she could hear was the floorboards, her breathing and the occasional noise from the necklaces she wore around her neck.

The stairs seemed to be endless as Talia climbed, wondering how much farther she had to go. Occasionally she would come across a broken safety light or one that seemed to flicker as she walked past, but finally she found herself in front of another door. Automatically, the demigod twisted the knob, surprised to find it open. Taking out her flashlight again, Talia flicked it on before entering the room beyond.

It was large, like the recreational room at Talia's elementary school before she had moved to Camp Half-Blood. There were two shapes at either end and after sweeping the beam of her flashlight over them, the skater determined them to be basketball hoops. She had found herself on a basketball court.

Talia swung the light around again, catching sight of a bright orange basketball in the middle of the floor. Gingerly, the demigod stepped forward, feeling the rotting floorboards underneath her give slightly to her weight. Sucking in a breath, Talia stepped forward again, pressing lightly with her foot to find the most solid and safe way towards the ball. She didn't know why, but something drew her towards it, which was strange considering she didn't even like basketball. Finally, when she had made it, Talia put her flashlight between her teeth and picked up the ball, weighing it in her hands.

For a basketball, it felt unusually heavy and Talia shook it, feeling something rattle around inside it. Excitedly, she placed the ball back on the ground and pulled out her dagger, piercing the ball's soft skin and letting the air out with a _whoosh. _

Just as she had suspected, there had been something inside. The ball had held a small capsule, much like the one that Talia had taken from the crab in New Orleans. With a cry of joy, Talia plucked the capsule from the ball and was about to open it when a shriek reverberated through the mountain, chilling the demigod's blood. There came another cry and then the sound of someone racing up the stairs towards her.


	9. Chapter IX: Summer Belongs to You

**I want to apologize greatly for the long wait for this chapter. I just got really busy with school and other stories and such, but here it is! I'm afraid it's probably not one of my best but I hope that you can look past that and enjoy the story? Erm, I'm not really sure the procedures of Disneyland after dark and the coupon lady later in the chapter is based on a real life experience from last summer so yeah. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song Summer Belongs to You, which this chapter was named after.**

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With a gasp, Talia shoved the capsule into her pocket and held her dagger out in front of her. The footsteps grew louder and louder until finally the door burst open and Talia let out a terrified shriek.

"Emmett?" she asked as the figure stepped farther into the room and into the beam of the skater's flash light. "Is that you?"

Sure enough, the black-haired, black-eyed demigod that Talia had met in New Orleans was standing in front of her. His hair looked disheveled and not styled like when she had last seen him and a look of terror was etched across his handsome features.

"Talia!" he exclaimed, gasping for breath. "You've got to get out of here."

"How did you find me?" Talia asked, backing up and tripping over the basketball. When she landed, a great cloud of dust rose and set both children sneezing.

"Does it matter?" Emmett asked. "Listen, I just fought off a horde of monsters downstairs. They're out to get you, I suspect. You've got to get out of here and head north."

"North?" Talia asked. "Why north?"

"I have correspondences in Seattle that will help you to wherever you need to go next," Emmett assured her. "We just have to get you out of here first."

Talia thought for a moment. "They always have Tinkerbell fly from the top of of the Matterhorn to somewhere else in the park," she said thoughtfully. "I could escape that way."

"Excellent," Emmett said. He nodded towards a ladder in the corner that must have been used before the hidden basketball court had been forgotten. He helped Talia to her feet and the two hurried across the floor, dust clouds rising in their wake.

The fear that had momentarily been kept at bay by Emmett's presence, began to manifest itself in the pit of Talia's stomach again. There were hordes of monsters chasing after her? The demigod fought down the urge to barf and shimmied up the ladder, the capsule in her pocket bouncing against her side.

The ladder led to a second upstairs room with another ladder at the far corner. Talia and Emmett hurried up that one too, pausing only when Talia stepped on a crumbling step and kicked Emmett in the face.

"I'm so sorry," Talia apologized again, near tears. They had reached the top of the ladder and had found it led to a trap door. She pushed on it sharply but it didn't move.

"Don't worry about it," Emmett grunted, rubbing at his slightly swollen eye. "And here." He nudged past Talia who wormed her way back down the ladder and let Emmett shoulder his way past the trap door, which had been held shut by repairmen plastering over it. There was a large crack, which Talia feared would give away their position, and then the dark black sky of Anaheim came into view. Emmett crawled out and helped Talia through before glancing around, nodding towards a guide wire that was fastened to the top of the mountain, the other end disappearing into the dark.

"Emmett," Talia said suddenly. "I don't know about this …"

"No time to think," Emmett replied sternly. He slipped Talia's backpack off her shoulders and flung it over the wire, motioning for her to come closer. "We've got to get you out of here, Talia. You can't fail this quest."

At this time, Talia very much would have liked to have failed the quest and gone home to a nice warm bunk in the Hermes cabin, but Emmett was already directing her arms through the backpack straps and instructing her to hold on tightly.

"Are you coming too?" Talia asked, turning her head to look at Emmett.

The demigod paused. "No," he said finally. "I have to stay here and make sure the monsters don't follow you."

"But-"

"No buts," Emmett said with a smile. "It'll be okay, squirt." And with that, Emmett gave Talia a shove that sent her flying off the edge of the Matterhorn.

Talia shrieked, louder than she ever had before. She was flying through the air, the wind whipping at her long blonde hair. Below her, she saw Fleur cantering after her as she zipped over countless rides and attractions. Before long, her shrieks of terror turned into cries of jubilation and all too soon she was finding herself coming in fast to a platform suspended in a grove of trees.

With a muffled shout, Talia landed heavily on the stand, earning herself a mouthful of leaves. She tugged her backpack off of the wire while spitting out the foliage and turned, just in time to find Fleur galloping in to greet her.

"Let's get out of here," Talia said, though not without a bit of regret. She had waited so long to come to Disneyland and it now seemed like a bittersweet parting.

_I'll come back one day, _she thought to herself as Fleur beat her pearly white wings and took to the sky. _You can count on that._

/Summer Belongs to You\

Trying to read a map while soaring on the back of a pegasus in the middle of the night was certainly easier said than done. Talia had such a trouble with it that she simply abandoned it and used her compass, making sure that getting to Seattle was definitely what she wanted most (though sometimes they found themselves straying off course because of other wants that floated into the young girl's head).

Finally, with dawn fast approaching, the sight of the Space Needle greeted Talia and Fleur. They soared down through the air, finally touching down in a park not too far from downtown.

Both demigod and pegasus were exhausted and sank into a much needed sleep, but Talia found that it ended all too soon when Fleur nudged her.

"Wha-?" she asked, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes. She glanced around and was alarmed to see a park attendant heading their way. "Oh, what do we do?" Talia moaned, dropping her head into her hands. She'd have a right time trying to explain why she had a horse with her, much less a winged one.

_Just go the other way, _Talia thought desperately. _There's nothing to see here. Nothing out of the ordinary. Turn around and go talk to those boys playing soccer. _She held her breath as the park attendant took another step closer to Talia before his eyes glazed over slightly and he turned smartly on the heel of his polished black boots and headed off in the other direction.

Talia was stunned. Had she just done that? She had heard stories from other campers that some demigods had the ability to manipulate the Mist that hid things like monsters from mortal eyes, but Talia had never known she could do it. _Must have been a fluke, _she thought to herself. Now that she was up, however, she remembered the capsule that was digging into her side.

When the capsule was in her hands, Talia closed her eyes and imagined a piece of parchment lying there instead. After a moment, she opened her eyes, but to her dismay, found that the capsule still remained. The last one she had had disappeared when she prompted it to, so why wouldn't this one?

Talia turned the metal tube over in her hand, examining it carefully, before finding what she was looking for. There, etched into the end of it, was a keyhole. Talia looked at it skeptically. It didn't go through the metal so she couldn't insert anything in it, and it wasn't a button so she couldn't push it. She traced her fingers over it slowly before pulling her hand away, thinking hard. If there was an imaginary lock on something, how would she open it?

The answer came to her from nowhere, as if a force had implanted it in her head. Pinching her thumb and index finger together, she held it before the capsule and flicked her wrist sharply to the right.

The canister popped open with a _hiss_, small amounts of steam flooding from it. Talia let out a whoop of joy and tipped the contents into her hand. She was pleased to find not just the parchment, but two more twenty dollar bills and four drachmas inside. When the money was safely stored in her backpack, Talia turned her attention back to the parchment in her hand, knowing that this was the final clue.

_So, you've made it to the far reaches of America_

_To search for where we hide_

_It's simply up to you now_

_To return to what you left behind._

_-Zeus_

Startled, Talia flipped over the parchment. There was a map, just like all the others, her path illuminated for her. There was the note from Central Park and New Orleans and finally Disneyland, but there was no indication as to where she was supposed to head next.

"Return to what you left behind?" Talia muttered, her eyes fanning over the map. "But that could be anywhere!" But even as she said it, Talia knew. The gods had been hiding in New York all along, right under her very nose. She had been sent on this wild goose chase of a test to discover that she was right where she needed to be all along.

"There's a moral to this, isn't there?" Talia grumbled as she slipped the parchment into her pocket and dropped the empty canister into her backpack. She didn't know when it would come in handy but it might be a useful tool later on. Fleur snorted and pawed at the ground and Talia sighed. "I'll go find us some food," Talia said. "Isn't there supposed to be a big fish market here or something?"

Talia was pretty sure that Fleur did not want fish to eat, and neither did she, but she was certainly right about the market. After following a couple groups of Japanese tourists from the park she found herself tromping down a steep, paved hill towards an opening to Pike Street Market. Flowers were in full bloom as vendors attempted to sell them to passersby, but Talia only had eyes for the vegetable stands. Using some of the money she had picked up in Denver, Talia bought several carrots and a cucumber for her and Fleur and stowed them away in her backpack. It would have to do for the moment, for Talia wanted to save as much as the money as she could if she was going to have to take a longer route home.

The skater spent another hour scouting the market before exiting back into the rare Seattle sunshine. She briefly thought of returning to the park where Fleur was before something caught her eye. Glittering in the sunbeams high above her head was the Space Needle.

"I bet you can see for miles up there," Talia said gleefully to herself. With the tower in sight, she navigated her way through the crowds and the traffic until she found herself at the foot of the tower.

"Coupon?" someone asked from behind Talia. The girl spun around to see a tall lady with a bright green t-shirt on, advertising some sort of cleaning product. "It includes a free pass to the top of the tower and ten percent off when you buy our product at Safeway."

"Er, sure, thanks!" Talia said, accepting a coupon along with some European tourists. She scampered into the line that was winding its way around the tower and glanced up towards the top, craning her neck to see to the point.

The thing that nagged at the back of Talia's mind throughout her long wait in the line was the fact that she was very alone on this trip. Whenever she had gone on vacation she had always had Jazzy with her or even the other campers. Here, on the other side of the country, she had a pegasus and the occasional company of a stray demigod. It made Talia's heart pang and she wished desperately that this was a normal quest, the kind where you could take two companions with you and everyone wasn't counting on you. She wanted to share these experiences with people, her adventures and first times and new friends. The life of the chosen demigod was a lonely one.

At long last Talia found herself in an elevator crammed with other tourists making their way up to the top of the tower. The guide in the compartment gave them a brief history of the Space Needle, why it was built and the surrounding area, but Talia, who was at the front of the car, only had eyes for the view through the window. She watched as the ground sped away from them and Seattle stretched out beneath her. It was a sight she had seen briefly that morning when she had flown in on Fleur's back but could only fully appreciate now as she raced up to the top of the tower.

When the doors slid open, Talia was the first person out. There were plenty of things to look at indoors, but Talia wanted to be outside on the observation deck. She wanted to be closer to the sky.

The deck was crowded as well but on the other side of the tower Talia managed to find a spot where she could see all the way out to the ocean and beyond. She inhaled the smell of the sea air before realizing she was being watched.

The skater turned slowly, her sky blue eyes found their way towards dark aquamarine ones that probed her curiously. "Um, can I help you?" Talia asked politely, though she was thoroughly unnerved. Was this girl a monster in disguise?

"You're a demigod, aren't you?" the girl asked, surveying Talia more closely than ever.

"What's it to you?" Talia retorted defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

The girl, who was tall with long hair the colour of hay, laughed. "I'm a demigod too. Don't worry."

Talia gaped. What were the odds that she would run into so many demigods on this quest? Still, she didn't question the appearance of the girl in front of her. Talia appreciated all the help she could get.

"My name is Talia," the skater said, extending a hand towards the girl.

"Haleigh," the older demigod replied. She continued to watch Talia, who in turn, gazed back, but after a moment Haleigh shuddered, leaving a puzzled expression on Talia's face.

"Are you alright?" Talia asked, but Haleigh waved her hand dismissively.

"My father is Apollo," she said randomly, turning her attention towards the water in the distance. "The god of prophecies."

"Yeah … right," Talia said, still watching her new companion. What was she getting at?

"It's a very rare gift, precognition," Haleigh continued. "There are currently no other children of Apollo that have the gift besides myself."

"What's precog- precug-"

"Precognition?" Haleigh asked, smiling at Talia who had gained her attention again. "It's the ability to see the future."

Talia stepped back. Suddenly, Haleigh seemed like a whole different person. She was … Talia couldn't explain it exactly, but there was something definitely scary about her; not monster scary, like she was going to burst out of her skin any moment, but the kind of scary she could only associate with someone who had seen too much of the world and its most darkest secrets.

"I think … I think I should go," Talia stuttered, stumbling over a person's foot behind her. She apologized when the lady scowled, but her eyes remained on Haleigh who followed her through the crowd.

"Talia, I'm not going to hurt you," she said, but her voice sounded strained and old. "I have something to tell you."

"I don't think I want to hear it," Talia replied, though it was not quite the truth. She could not help but remember the dream she had had earlier that week, of the camp in flames and her friends perishing in the fires. Could whatever Haleigh have to tell her help her save her home from a terrible fate?

Talia stumbled backwards into a wall, cowering slightly as Haleigh approached. Haleigh seemed to have noticed, for she sighed and turned her head away.

"So many people are scared of me," she said quietly. "It's why I left camp. They're all afraid I'll tell them of the horrible things that will happen in their lives, but I don't see just the bad stuff. There's good stuff too, and that's what I want to share with you, Talia." She turned her eyes back on Talia's and the skater shivered slightly. They were warm but weary looking.

"Fine," she said bravely. "What is it you want to tell me?"

Haleigh paused, her eyes closing and her breathing slowing. Talia realized that this would be the perfect opportunity to escape, but before she could Haleigh had her hand on her shoulder and was speaking again.

"Yellowstone," she said in a whisper. "Your fortunes lie within Yellowstone National Park."

"You mean, the gods are there?" Talia asked, thoroughly confused. The clue had led her to be certain that they were somewhere back in New York.  
Haleigh shook her head. "No. Not the gods. Another fortune. Something awaits you there."

"Listen," Talia began. "If you can see the future and everything, can't it change? What if I decide not to go to Yellowstone?"

"But you will, won't you?" Haleigh asked with a smile. "That's the thing about you, Talia. You're so curious, you'll go anyway."

The skater scowled. She was not about to admit to Haleigh that she was right.

"Besides," the seer continued, "I believe in things happening for a reason. We were fated to meet, Talia, so I could tell you of this fortune. You were meant to go to Yellowstone."

Talia's eyes scanned the horizon past Haleigh. Destiny was something she had never really put much faith in, but now, with this girl who could predict the future standing in front of her, Talia was unsure. Haleigh had said that she was meant to go to Yellowstone which made her wary about what waited there for her. Still, her curiosity was getting the better of her, so with a deep breath, the skater said, "So … do you know how to get there?"


	10. Chapter X: Little Wonders

**Sorry for the delay everyone! Holidays and writing for other stories has put me a bit behind, but I'm back! Hope you enjoy this chapter. It was fun to write and I'm thinking of some action packed stuff for the future. Cheers!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song Little Wonders for which this chapter was titled.**

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At Haleigh's discretion, Talia was taking off from Seattle within fifteen minutes of her encounter with the seer. The daughter of Apollo had suggested heading to Montana; it was the closest state to Washington that also had a park entrance in it.

"Not that you need an official entrance if your just going to ride that pegasus of yours in," she said thoughtfully. "But it's still closer. That'll be your best bet."

Now, with the wind once again whipping through her hair, Talia took the opportunity to ponder what awaited her in the park. Was it riches and treasure beyond her wildest imagination? Or was it some fearsome and famous monster, like the chimera or the Nemean Lion? Talia hoped desperately that it was the former and pressed herself flatter onto Fleur's back as they raced backwards against the sun.

It took them the remainder of the morning and part of the early afternoon to cross the distance to Montana. Truthfully, Talia had steered them wrong more than once and as a result, had found herself going too far south. They had had to double back around to make it back towards Yellowstone National Park with some day light still available.

The air was hot and but delightfully fresh as Talia and Fleur landed deep inside the park. All around them were pine trees that towered towards the sky and the sounds of birds and other wildlife echoing around them. Talia had only been camping once when she had been younger and being in the park instantly reminded her of the occasion. She was hit with such a sudden wave of homesickness that she had to sit down, her thoughts swirling. When she had started out on the quest, when she had agreed to take her sister's place, Talia had thought that this would be a fun adventure that would bring her fame among the campers. Now, she wondered what she was doing out in the middle of Montana. She was only eight years old after all.

It was a moment before it dawned on the blonde that the park had fallen silent. Talia, who had gotten to her feet again, turned sharply, watching as Fleur pawed at the ground and snorted out of nervousness. Something was wrong.

Talia pulled out her dagger, her hand shaking slightly as she looked around. It had been a while since a monster encounter and it had lulled her into a false sense of security. Just because she hadn't been claimed by an Olympian didn't make her void of attracting monsters. She was just like every other demigod after all.

Suddenly, something burst out of the bushes behind Talia, making Fleur whinny and rise on her hind legs and Talia scream. The skater tumbled to the ground in terror as a deer leaped over her with ease, disappearing into the thicket behind her with speed that rivalled the arrows the Apollo campers were so adept at using. Despite the brief encounter, Talia knew there was something different about the deer. Its antlers and hooves had glittered in the patches of sunlight that made their way through the trees and Talia could have sworn they were gold.

The sound of more rustling brought Talia back to her senses and she got to her feet as quickly as she did on the ice after a fall. Pushing Fleur into the bushes, the skater stood silently and watched as a young lady stumbled out of the undergrowth and stopped to catch her bearings. She had shoulder-length platinum blonde hair and wild blue eyes that scanned the clearing briefly before she took off in the direction that the deer had disappeared.

When Talia was sure that the lady was gone, she stepped back out from the bushes, leaving Fleur who was contently munching on the grass. The blonde wasn't sure what prompted her to think so, but she was certain that the deer was in trouble and that the lady that had been pursuing it was the problem.

"I can find that deer first," Talia said resolutely. "And I can help it." She glanced back at her pegasus, reassured by the fact that Fleur would find her if she whistled the correct melody, before pulling out her compass from under her shirt. It brushed against the golden necklace Talia had received from Effie in Texas and she was momentarily distracted by its beauty. A snort from Fleur brought the skater back to the present and she opened her compass, watching the needle spin. When it stopped, it pointed in a direction just left of where the deer disappeared, and so Talia started out.

At first, the young demigod struggled through the undergrowth, tripping over hidden tree roots and getting her leggings snagged by bushy plants. It made traveling tough, but the desire to reach the deer first made things easier, and soon, Talia found herself moving along small pathways that seemed to appear to her from no where. When the blonde was sure she had found a good pathway, she began to run, her feet carrying her easily over the smoother ground, occasionally checking her compass as she did so. Every time she needed to make a turn and readjust her course, the path seemed to oblige, forks appearing left and right whenever the deer changed its course.

The sun continued to move in the sky, but Talia didn't feel tired at all. She felt like she could run forever, and soon, she was leaving the forest behind and emerging on a lakefront, the bright blue mountain spring looking welcoming. The demigod paused, taking a moment to rest and soak her feet in the water.

She knew that the longer she stayed, the farther away the deer would run and the closer the lady would get, but somehow Talia knew that she was closer to reaching the deer than the lady was. Maybe it was the compass and the forest path she had found, or maybe it was a strange and more mysterious force altogether. Talia had no idea.

"I wish I could stay here forever," Talia murmured, flopping onto her back and gazing up at the sky. It was a beautiful summer's day in Yellowstone National Park and it reminded Talia greatly of Camp Half-Blood.

Somehow, the thought of home seemed to fuel the eight-year-old into action. She tugged on the Vans with the golden stars and stood up slowly, eyes scanning the vicinity for any sign of the deer or the lady. When she was sure she was quite alone, Talia pulled out her compass again and examined the needle. The long, thin rod pointed across the lake so Talia took off at a slow and leisurely jog, keeping the water on her left and the forested area on her right. Before long she was plunging back into the trees on another barely noticeable path.

Birds chirped and squirrels chattered as Talia sped up her jog back to a sprint. Her feet thundered along the path as she continued to assess her compass, making sharp turns when needed and once doubling back as the deer changed its direction. Talia glanced up to the sky, remembering what Chiron had taught her about the sun's position in the sky. After a moment of examination, Talia could see it was getting close to four o'clock in the afternoon. She was lucky that the summer brought longer days.

Sweat trickled down the skater's temple as she continued on in the heat. It was nothing like Texas, but it was still hot enough to make running a chore. Talia longed to slow down but the needle was beginning to spin lazily, a sure sign that she was nearing the deer. Sure enough, as Talia rounded one last bend in the path, she saw it.

The deer was even more beautiful up close than it had been in the fleeting moment Talia had seen it. Its antlers were golden and glittered in the late afternoon sun and now that it was standing still, Talia could see that its hooves were a deep copper colour. The fur on its back was a beautiful motley grey colour and its eyes were dark brown. They watched her warily as Talia paused on the outskirts of its clearing, and the demigod could tell that it was ready to flee at even the slightest of movements.

"I'm not here to hurt you," Talia said after another minute of tentative eye contact with the beast. "I'm here to help you. I won't let that lady get you." The deer seemed to consider this proposition for a moment before dropping its head back to the grass at its feet. It munched away contently as Talia stepped into the clearing, slowly as not to startle it. When she reached its side, the demigod reached out nervously, her outstretched fingers yearning to touch its antlers. Beside her, the deer tensed, but relaxed again under Talia's gentle touch.

The antlers were smooth, unlike other deer, and they gave Talia the impression that she was touching both a solid and a liquid at the same time. Her fingers trailed down from the antlers to the soft fur between the deer's ears and the demigod sighed. If clouds could be touched, she was sure it would feel exactly like the deer's fur.

The moment with the deer was so peaceful that Talia forgot why she had initially pursued it all afternoon. The sound of someone crashing through the underbrush quickly brought her back to her senses. Beside her, the deer snapped its head up, ready to flee, but Talia kept a hand on its back.

"It's alright," she assured. "I'll protect you." But even as she said it, she began to doubt herself. The lady that had originally chased the deer had looked older than Haleigh and Talia wasn't sure if she would be capable of holding her off.

It only took another minute for the lady to leap into the clearing. Her shoulder-length hair was tangled with branches and leaves and her chest heaved with exertion. She glanced between Talia and the deer before pulling a sword from its sheath at her side. Automatically, Talia pulled the dagger from her pocket, placing herself between the deer and the woman.

The lady laughed. "You think you can stand in my way, little one?" she asked in a high, cold voice. "I have been chasing the hind for forty days and forty nights. At last I have caught it!"

Talia glanced back at the deer. The lady had called it the hind and the name rang a bell in the skater's head. She tried to recall the many history lessons she had had with the Athena cabin, but they all escaped her.

"You do not know?" the lady asked, clearly pleased by the questioning expression on Talia's face. "The deer you so carelessly guard is the Ceryneian Hind of Artemis. It is her sacred animal and I intend to slay it!" Talia barely had time to process the lady's words and her actions before bringing up her dagger to deflect the blow from the sword swinging towards her. The Celestial Bronze clanged against each other and Talia stumbled backwards from the strength of the woman's swing.

"Who are you?" she asked, dodging out of the way of another attack. The Ceryneian Hind rose on its hind legs, kicking wildly at the lady who somersaulted to the other side of the clearing.

"I'm Eleanor, black market poacher," the lady crowed, turning her attention to the hind who backed away from the sword. Talia knew it could easily out run Eleanor but had the feeling that it was sticking around for her. The skater had sworn to protect it, but apparently the gesture had also been reciprocated.

"Well this is one animal you're just not going to get," Talia snarled. She charged forward and tackled Eleanor around the middle. The older woman's sword flew into the forest behind her and the two went tumbling to the ground. Eleanor was quick, however, She rolled them so that she pinned Talia to the ground, grinning as she watched the demigod struggle.

"You're a little young to be out on your own," Eleanor said with a giggle. "How old are you? Six? Seven?"

"I'm eight!" Talia exclaimed, trying to wiggle her way out of the poacher's grasp.

"Oh, how endearing," Eleanor cooed. "But don't think I'll go any easier on you just because you're young!"

A sharp whizzing sound and then the thud of something embedding itself in a tree drew Eleanor's attention away from Talia. She glanced up quickly, and gasped before taking off into the trees, leaving Talia to struggle to her feet and massage her arms. She looked around briefly to see a silver arrow in a tree next to her and when she saw who the archer was, she gasped.

Talia had heard many stories of Artemis and her hunters, but she had never met the goddess before. She was not much taller than Talia was herself, with long auburn coloured hair twisted into beautiful ringlets and eyes the colour of the arrow. She regarded Talia closely, one hand on her Ceryneian Hind, the other clutching her bow.

"Why do you seek out the Ceryneian Hind?" she asked coldly.

"I wasn't going to hurt it, if that's what you mean," Talia replied quickly. "I wanted to protect it from that lady, Eleanor. She said she was a poacher and I couldn't let her get the Hind. It's very beautiful, by the way." Talia ducked her head, waiting to hear what the goddess would say next.

"You are far from home, young one," Artemis observed finally. Talia tilted her head up to watch the huntress carefully. "What are you doing in Yellowstone National Park?"

"Well, you see …" It was a story Talia had told to a few demigods now on her quest, but she repeated the story of leaving Camp Half-Blood for her sister and following the instructions on the clues she found. Artemis's face went from stone cold to shock. The gods were not allowed to aid the demigod on this particular quest.

"... and then I met a daughter of Apollo in Seattle who told me that something was waiting for me here in the park. I guess maybe it was the Hind or … you," Talia finished lamely, dropping her hands by her side.

"If I had known that you were the one on the quest …" Artemis started, then quickly changed her mind. It was clear she was raging a war against herself: as stated by her father, Zeus, she was not allowed to help Talia, but Artemis also had a duty to maidens as well and it was clear what her intentions were.

"Tell me, Talia," the huntress said finally. "Do you know much of myself and my cause?"

Talia paused. "I know that your cabin at Camp Half-Blood is reserved for when you and your hunters come to visit, and I also know that you guys always win when we play against you for capture the flag." The grin on the skater's face was wider than it had been since Disneyland and Artemis couldn't help but mirror the expression.

"Yes, very true," she said wisely. "But do you know why I have a group of hunters?"

Talia shook her head.

"My hunters have sworn an oath to me, to remain pure forever and in return, gain immortality. I see a spark in you that I have not seen in a girl your age for a very long time. I have a feeling it has to do with your true power, but only time will tell."

Talia's eyes widened. In all the excitement of just finding the gods, she had forgotten what would happen when she did so. The idea of finding the source of her true hidden powers and potentials made her shiver in the hot August heat. When she discovered what the source of her power was, she'd theoretically be the most powerful demigod at camp. And when she managed to harness the power? Talia didn't even want to think about that.

Artemis's gaze had wandered to the sun that was making its way lazily across the sky. Based on the knowledge that Chiron had taught her, Talia judged that she had about three hours of day light left.

"I don't have much time, but let me tell you, Talia: something is amiss in the stars. The heavens are trying to warn you of something, though what it is, I don't know. What I do know is that dagger is not going to help you for long out here." Talia glanced at the dagger that she still clutched in her hand. Artemis was right. If she kept coming up against monsters and demigods like Eleanor, she'd need something a lot bigger to defend herself with.

"What do you suggest then?" Talia asked. "I don't know many places where you can get a Celestial Bronze sword."

Artemis laughed. "Swords are for the weak," she said loftily. With an airy wave of her hand a silver bow and quiver of arrows, much like the one slung over her shoulder, appeared. "Don't think of this as me helping you on your quest. Think of this as a thank-you for protecting the Ceryneian Hind and a promise that you'll consider joining the hunt when all of this is over," the goddess said, stepping forward and handing Talia the bow and arrows.

The demigod didn't know what to say. She had never been great at archery back at camp, but the set that Artemis handed her seemed to be designed with her in mind. It was light and flexible and when she held the bow it felt like an extension of her arm.

"Thank-you," she gushed. "I don't know what else to say."

"Then don't say anything," Artemis said with a wink. "The arrows will replenish themselves at the full moon, so use them sparingly. When not needed, they will disappear, but always know that you can call on them in a time of need. I do not let my maidens down."

Talia grinned, clutching her gifts tightly in her hand as Artemis and the hind turned, disappearing into the forest without so much as a rustle.


	11. Chapter XI: In Too Deep

**Here it is! I tried to make it a bit more action packed than the others (I mean, in terms of monster fighting) so I hope this turned out alright. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song In Too Deep for which this chapter was titled.**

* * *

With the excitement of Yellowstone National Park behind her, Talia set off once again for New York City. The countryside whipped beneath her as she and Fleur flew from the park in the dying light of the day and headed in the direction of home.

"Do you think it will be hard to find the gods in New York?" Talia asked Fleur sleepily as they soared over rivers and mountains. "You don't think they were at the Empire State Building this whole time, do you? Boy, I'll be mad if _that's_ where they were. I'd give them a piece of my mind, I would."

Fleur snorted, as if to say, _Yeah right,_ but otherwise made no other comments.

"Do you know what happens when I find them?" Talia asked suddenly. It was a question she had been wanting to ask someone for a long time, but as this was a solo quest, she hadn't gotten the chance. The skater made a mental note to try and Iris Message her sister when she had the money.

Fleur whinnied, her voice carrying over the wind as the moon rose behind them. Talia's thoughts were drawn briefly to Artemis who had found her despite the rules. She hadn't known that Talia had been the one in pursuit of the hind, but she had broken the rules. Would Zeus do something drastic now? Talia shook the idea out of her head and instead said, "I mean, I know that they're supposed to reveal to you the traits that give you the most power and whatever, but then what do I do with that information? How do I actually put that to good use?"

Once again, her question was answered with silence from her companion and the surrounding area.

The thing about the quest that bugged Talia the most was how alone she was. She could understand why Jasmine had not wanted to take on the journey, but at the same time, Talia still pondered it. What was the real reason Jazzy had passed the quest on to her younger sister? The thought nagged at the back of Talia's mind until she dropped off into sleep full of golden deer and shining silver arrows.

[In Too Deep]

When Talia woke up the next morning, she was lying on soft sand under the shade of a long dock that stretched out for at least another twenty feet. For a brief moment, the blonde wondered if they were already back in New York, but she quickly dismissed the thought. Fleur was fast, but there was no way she was _that_ fast.

Speaking of which …

Talia turned, spotting her pegasus sleeping where the dock met with the earth. She wouldn't be spotted at all if people were to casually look under the dock, though Talia knew that if they were to do some exploring, they'd find her. She had no idea what the Mist would show Fleur as, but even if it was just a horse, it would still be weird to find an equestrian underneath a dock in … wherever they were.

After finding a granola bar and a juice box in her backpack for breakfast, Talia set off in search of someone who would be able to tell her where exactly she was. Just to make sure she wasn't in New York already, she pulled out her compass, not surprised to see the needle pointing somewhere off to her left. If she had been home it would have been spinning uselessly.

"Right," Talia said, her ballet flats sinking into the sand. She kicked them off and scooped them up, continuing on down the beach. "I need to know where I am and what day it is and if there's any food around." The sound of the waves lapping at the shore quickly caught Talia's attention though and she turned, watching the water. "And," she said thoughtfully after a moment, "maybe I can play for a bit. I haven't had a bit of fun since Disneyland." She giggled at the fond memory and began trudging across the sand again. Ten minutes later, however, she found the solution to a lot of her problems.

An old man was sitting on a second dock along the shore and it was he whom Talia asked where she was.

"Is this the ocean?" she asked him.

The man laughed. "It's big enough to be," he said. "Naw, this here is Lake Michigan, one of those Great Lakes. Your parents tell you this was the ocean?"

Talia put on a pout. "Yeah," she complained. "Boy, I'm gonna tell 'em that they shouldn't lie." She turned her gaze to look out at the lake. The man was right, it could be the ocean. It stretched on for as far as Talia could see and probably for miles and miles beyond that too.

"Hey, mister," Talia said, remembering the other things she needed to find out. "Can you tell me two more things, please?"

"Sure, darling," the man said, tugging on his bucket cap.

"Okay, one," Talia said, "what day is it today?"

"August the first," came her reply. Talia did a quick calculation. She had three weeks to complete the entire quest, and if she was right, she was now on the third day of the second week. She had plenty of time to make it back to New York. However, she couldn't lull herself into a false sense of security. She had heard plenty of stories of demigods on quests who had lost track of time all too easily. One such story of Percy Jackson came to mind.

"Alright," Talia said. "And, is there a convenience store or something around here? My mum didn't buy us any Oreos when we went shopping."

"Just at the end of the beach and across the road," the man replied. He smiled kindly at Talia and handed her ten dollars. "Buy some for the both of us, will you?" he asked.

Talia grinned. "Sure thing, mister," she chirped. "Be back in a jiffy!" She scurried off down the sand, her eyes seeking out the road that the man had mentioned. Sure enough, the black asphalt road materialized in front of the skater as she jogged along the beach, her backpack bouncing against her bag and her flats slapping against each other in her hand. Talia shoved her feet back into her shoes, looked both ways and then crossed the street.

The little convenience store was a little rundown and clearly well used. It was easy for Talia to pick up a few bags of snacks and the box of Oreos. Hopefully, she and Fleur would make good time later and be back in New York before all their food ran out. She still had a few vegetables and candy bars in her backpack too.

After paying for the snacks, Talia stuck the beef jerky and the sunflower seeds and the water bottle into her backpack before prying open the pack of Oreos. The cookies were tantalizing, but the skater limited herself to eating just one. The cookie crumbled as she took a bite, bits of dark cookie crumbling and spotting her lips. Talia savoured the filling, the soft, creamy texture a welcome taste after so many days of living off of vegetables.

The man was right where Talia had left him ten minutes ago. When he saw her, his face brightened up considerably. Talia reached into her pocket to give him his change back but the man shook his head.

"You keep it," he told her. "Buy yourself a pretty souvenir before you leave."

"Thanks!" Talia chimed. She didn't really know what else to say; these acts of kindness always got her a little tongue tied. Jazzy had always been better at it. "Have a cookie." She offered the man the box and he accepted it graciously, plucking a cookie from the package and humming contently as he munched on it.

"Wish we had some milk," he said thoughtfully, "but not much to be done about that. I haven't had an Oreo in ages."

"Me neither," Talia said as she bit into her second cookie. She stood for a while, her eyes traveling between the man on the dock above her and the lake beside her. A cool breeze ruffled her hair and sent the sand skittering across the beach.

"Jack!" A shrill voice broke the silence and the man turned his head thoughtfully.

"That would be my wife, Marilla," Jack said, accepting another Oreo. "She wanted to go into town today."

Despite only knowing the man for half an hour, Talia still felt her smile deflate a bit. It had been nice to find a normal person to talk to for once. No traveling, life-saving or future-seeing demigods. No crazy ladies chasing after sacred deer through a national park. Just a friendly old man sitting at the end of his dock.

"Maybe you should go," Talia advised as Marilla shouted for her husband again.

"I suppose," Jack said, pushing himself to his feet. His white beard shone brightly in the sun and his eyes twinkled merrily.

"Thanks so much, Jack," Talia said, the words tumbling out of her mouth.

Jack smiled. "It was my pleasure …"

"Talia," the skater replied. "My name is Talia."

"Well, Miss Talia," Jack said. "You have yourself a nice holiday now." He tipped his hat to her and started off along the dock. Talia watched him until he disappeared into his house, leaving her with only a box of Oreos and a pocketful of change to remember him by.

[In Too Deep]

Fleur was awake by the time that Talia returned. She whinnied happily when Talia gave her an Oreo, munching on it happily. The skater then proceeded to lay out two carrots and a stalk of celery before settling into the sand and watching the water. She had time to spend the whole day here if she wanted to. The waves were enticing, lapping a the shore. Talia hadn't brought a bathing suit with her, but as she rummaged through her backpack she was able to find a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and a lot of extra underwear.

"Perfect," the demigod chimed. After checking carefully for anyone who might spot her, Talia shucked off her leggings and tunic top and donned the extra clothes she had found. She took her compass off and tucked it neatly into her backpack and then hauled all her supplies up to Fleur.

"You take good care of this stuff now, you hear?" Talia asked. Fleur snorted, as if to say, _Of course_, and went back to munching her veggies. Talia smiled and headed for the water.

The chill of the lake reminded Talia greatly of the one back at Camp Half-Blood, but she couldn't be bothered to think of the camp. She was finally getting a break! There was nothing here to bother her. She knew exactly where she needed to be by the end of the following week and she was certain she would find the gods before then.

Talia waded in up to her waste. The water wasn't exactly crystal clear, but she could still see the murky bottom. Freshwater plants sprouted from the sand, tickling at her bare legs. Talia giggled, digging her toes into the sand and kicking it up, turning the water into a clouded mess.

Then, something grabbed Talia's leg.

Talia screamed, or tried to, at least, but she was dragged under the waves by whatever had grabbed her legs. The water was murky, and even as Talia snapped her eyes open, she new it was futile. She couldn't see anything, and as she struggled to get away from her attacker, even more sand was kicked up. Her only hope would be to get back to shore. She reached wildly for her dagger but then stopped. It was lying in her backpack back on the beach.

Talia was trapped.

The lack of air was also proving to be a problem for Talia. It was in this moment that she realized she now knew for certain that she was no child of Poseidon's. Bubbles rose from Talia's mouth as she struggled to escape whatever was still clamped around her ankle. Finally, with a mighty kick to what Talia assumed was the creature's face, it let go and she was able to launch herself to the surface.

Talia gasped for air and began to race for the shore. Running in water, however, was proving to be a lot more troublesome than she had anticipated, and she had only made it a couple of feet before the creature grabbed at her ankle again.

This time, Talia had the quick opportunity to glance down at the creature. It had a dog-like face, with black snouts and dark eyes and pointy-ears. It's entire body was covered in a sleek black pelt, not unlike that of a seal's and its flipper-like feet only solidified the resemblance. The only thing that seemed abnormally out of place were its human-like hands that ended in long, sharp claws.

Talia really had no idea what it was, and frankly, she didn't want to find out.

The seal monster tugged Talia under again, but Talia was a little more prepared this time. She gulped in one last breath of air before dunking herself, scrabbling for the sea bed. As she did so, the creature grabbed the chain of Effie's necklace. Talia briefly let her mind wander to why she had worn it into the water, but she didn't have time to think. She yanked her head back, effectively snapping the chain in the process. Her hands dug into the soft sand and swiftly, she threw the mud into the monster's eyes. It yelped, blinded, and Talia was able to escape once again. However, her elation was short lived. Just beyond the creature that had seized her were several more monsters of the same kind. Talia had to get out of the water, and fast.

Luckily, she was closer to the shore than she had been the first time. Talia raced out of the water, but the seals were not far behind her. Several surged from the lake, their angry eyes gazing at her hungrily. There was no way that her dagger would be able to take on all of the monsters.

Suddenly, something caught her eye. Talia turned her head in time to see a timber wolf running from the water, up the sand and up the dune on the far side. It looked strangely out of place in the sunny weather, but it reminded Talia that her dagger was not her only weapon now.

_Oh, Artemis_, Talia thought pleadingly. _Please, I need my bow and arrows!_

Almost immediately, a weight settled on Talia's shoulder. She whipped her head around to see that the silver quiver of arrows was perched neatly on her back, the bow tucked inside as well. Talia yanked the bow and an arrow out and fitted them together.

Despite the customization that Artemis had done to the bow, it could not help the fact that Talia had never actually been terribly good at archery. The first arrow fell feebly from the bow as Talia tried to shoot it. A slow panic was beginning to build in the skater and she pushed her long, lank hair from her eyes.

"Focus," Talia muttered to herself, snatching the arrow up from her feet. She fit it into the bow again and calmed her breathing, eyeing the nearest seal-monster carefully.

This time, her arrow had a little more success. It shot from the end of the bow and came up two feet short of the monster, but it had had the desired affect. The creature paused for a moment, re-thinking Talia as she pulled a second arrow from her quiver and took aim. She let the arrow fly and felt a sense of jubilation as the arrow embedded itself into the creature. It dissolved in a shower of dust that quickly blended in with the sand.

More confident than she had been before, Talia knocked another arrow, took aim, and let it fly. It found it's mark and another of the seal creatures dissipated into dust.

There seemed to be plenty of arrows in her quiver, but Talia took care to keep an eye on each of the ones she launched. If she could retrieve the majority of her arrows it would definitely help her in the long run. She'd have to find another library computer in order to find out when the next full moon would be.

Two more seal-monsters dissolved at Talia's hand (but not before she had used several arrows trying to simply hit them) before the remainder of their pack decided that maybe she really wasn't worth the effort. They sank back beneath the waves until Talia was left in the sand, the silver weapons glittering in her hands.

"Well," Talia muttered, picking up her fallen arrows and putting them into the quiver carefully. She wasn't sure how to make them disappear again, but even after merely thinking the thought the weapons were gone.

"How convenient," Talia muttered as she picked her way back across the sand to Fleur, who had apparently slept through the entire ordeal. Talia huffed as she peeled off her soaking clothes and donned the ones she had been wearing before. She tucked Jasmine's dagger back into her pocket and regarded her wet clothes with interest. Finally, Talia folded them carefully and put them in the plastic bag she had received at the convenience store.

"Fleur," Talia said, shaking her pegasus awake and donning her pack. The winged horse regarded her with annoyance. "We can't stay here," Talia said. "Not on the shore, at least. Do you know what's in the water here? Because I sure don't have a clue what they were."

Fleur snorted and Talia understood why. After so much traveling, it was nice to finally relax.

"We don't have to go far," Talia said. "Into town maybe? Or just not so close to the water. I don't want those things attacking us in the middle of the night."

After another minute of carefully considering Talia's offer, Fleur stood, shaking the sand from her beautiful fur.

"Thanks," Talia said, leading the pegasus out from under the dock and then clambering onto her back. Fleur stretched her wings and after a couple of flaps, the two were airborne. As they turned away from Lake Michigan, Talia turned her head. For a moment, she thought she saw Jack sitting back on his dock, being surveyed by three or four of the strange seal-monsters.

Talia shuddered. She definitely wouldn't be spending too much time in the water when she got home.


End file.
